Chance to have your say on South Tyneside's open spaces

South Tyneside Council said a four-week public consultation exercise will be held to help form the evidence base for the upcoming Local Plan, as its existing ‘Open Space Study’ is out of date.

It comes after development blueprints sparked a backlash in communities across the borough when green spaces, including green belt land, was pencilled in for housing development.

Open spaces include areas like parks, beaches, children’s play areas, cemeteries, wildlife sites and allotments. The study will assess their usage, demand, and value to people across South Tyneside.

Residents will be invited to complete an online survey and respond to questions such as how far they have to travel to get to open spaces, how often they use them, and if they can identify any potential improvements.

Cllr Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth, Skills and Climate Change, said: “We’ve listened to what residents told us during the recent regulation 18 Local Plan consultation and we know that open spaces are really important to them.

“Our communities value the role they play in terms of their health and wellbeing, for socialising, and for mitigating climate change.

“Now we want to learn more about how, why and when they use open spaces and what they think about existing provision.

“The findings of this consultation will help in the preparation and ongoing development of the emerging Local Plan.”

The consultation will run from Friday November 4, and the survey is available at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/haveyoursay