A VISION to shape a town over the next ten years has been devised by a renaissance board.

The issues debated at the Stockton Renaissance Board meeting ranged from the need for a confident and vibrant society for the town, to building an inspiring environment and boosting the economy.

The board considered a range of opportunities for the borough including raising people's aspirations and creating a culture of excellence for a confident and successful borough, developing high technology industries, and improving transport infrastructure.

The board's priorities will form part of Stockton's Community Strategy and will complement a wider strategy being developed for the whole of the Tees Valley.

Councillor Bob Gibson, chairman of Stockton Renaissance, said: "The Tees Valley Partnership set out a challenging vision for the sub-region and we responded to this by creating a Vision for Stockton for 2011, which builds on Stockton's unique strengths.

"This follow-up meeting to agree our priorities was the next step in producing a forward thinking plan for Stockton that we can put out to public consultation.

"It is essential all of the organisations and the agencies in Stockton, both private and public sector, work together to take a coordinated approach to planning and owning Stockton's future."

Stockton Renaissance is the local strategic partnership for the borough with responsibility for meeting the government's commitment for neighbourhood renewal. The board draws its members from across the community.