A SURVEY is being undertaken to find out what traders think could be done to improve Durham city centre.

Durham City Forum, which was set up to improve the city's quality of life and prosperity, is asking about 500 city centre firms for their plans for the future.

The city centre has seen significant development in recent years, and a succession of commercial developments and parking changes have courted controversy.

The forum, which is made up of traders and representatives from the city and county councils, wants companies to help identify priorities and the councils to take action.

The survey, the first of its kind, covers topics such as parking and transport, access for the disabled, litter, visitor attractions and facilities, crime, how trade is progressing, and communications between business and with the two councils.

Barry Turnbull, the recently-departed city centre manager who helped to organise the survey, said: "There's not much point in doing things that people don't think need doing.

"This survey is about providing a hit-list of things that people consider to be the most important things to be tackled.

"The forum will use the information to influence whoever needs influencing, the city council or the county council. The councils are very receptive.

"It is likely that parking will be an issue. Anecdotally, everyone talks to me about parking. It is an issue that does need to be resolved.

"I know that the city council is looking at alternative parking provision and the county is looking at park-and-ride schemes.''

Forum chairman Colin Wilkes said: "This is a first for the forum. I am not aware of a survey on this scale before.

"It is as comprehensive as we can make it, and it is designed to be easy for people to express their opinions through.

"Durham needs to look at where it is now, and where it wants to go.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to develop a strategy that will give us a way forward so that when the Millennium City development opens, Durham will be the complete place to come to, shop in and enjoy."

Mr Wilkes added: "We want as many people as possible to respond to it.