RESIDENTS, businesses and visitors can share their views on how County Durham should look like by 2030.

The County Durham Partnership is developing a vision for the county’s future and public responses will help guide the growth of the county over the next decade.

The results of consultation will help shape initiatives from regeneration projects and public health services to police and fire and rescue services.

The organisations which make up the partnership have already set some ambitions it believes make the most of the area’s attributes and opportunities and address the issues that matter to the public.

It has now launched a public consultation exercise, which will run until Monday, January 21.

Councillor Simon Henig, chairman of the partnership, said: “We want to create a vision that truly reflects the county and is something that the public also supports. We want residents, businesses and anyone else who takes in an interest in our county to get behind our vision to help make our ambitions a reality.”

The Partnership said its current vision– created by key public, private and voluntary sector organisations– has had some positive outcomes.

It claims employment has risen from 64.6 per cent in 2010 to 71.5 per cent in 2018, smoking has dropped from 22 per cent in 2012 to 14 per cent in 2018, carbon emissions have been reduced by 45 per cent in the past ten years and the amount of household waste going to landfill has more than halved in the same time.

Cllr Henig said: “Our current vision was created back in 2009 when the unitary authority was formed. Since that time we have successfully achieved or implemented many of the long-term aims we set out a decade ago.

“In addition, we now live in a very different world where we are facing continued reductions in government funding set against an increase in demand for services, with residents living longer and the number of looked after children increasing. Meanwhile, advances in technology are having an impact on the way we work and the economic make-up of the county.

“As a result of all of this, the time now feels right to re-examine our priorities and aspirations and create a vision that embodies how we would like to see the county grow and develop over the next few years.”

Members of the public can take part in the consultation by completing an online survey.

People can also share their views at Area Action Partnership meetings to be held across the county.

The online survey and details of the AAP meetings are available at durham.gov.uk/haveyoursay/vision