PEOPLE in Hartlepool have been given the chance to influence how the area will develop during the next 15 years.

They are being invited to give their views on a new version of the Hartlepool local plan. The plan covers issues affecting land in the borough, and sets out policies to assess planning applications.

The present plan was adopted in 1994, but since then Hartlepool Borough Council has become a unitary authority, taking on extra planning responsibilities.

The first version of the new plan will be available for public inspection, from Thursday to May 10, at the civic centre, Bryan Hanson House, all libraries in the town, and at Summerhill Visitor Centre.

It identifies extra land for housing in Eaglesfield Road, Stockton Road, Coronation Drive and Tunstall Farm.

It also includes sites designated for industrial use and recreational activities, and covers proposals to restrict late- night uses to certain areas of the town centre.

Any objections to the plan will be considered by the council.

A revised version will then be made available for public inspection later this year.