RESIDENTS are being asked to help draw up plans for their town's future.

Consultants have been appointed to carry out 1,000 telephone interviews with people in Redcar and the rest of east Cleveland, and to canvas the opinions of 300 high street shoppers.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council wants to gauge people's views on what type of shopping they want, how easy it is to travel to Redcar, the availability of parking and what they like and dislike about the town.

All their views will make up the first Redcar Town Centre Strategy, which aims to shape the town over the next 15 years and create an action plan for the town centre management group.

Councillor Eric Empson said: "Like many other towns, Redcar has lost a lot of trade to larger town centres like Middlesbrough and out-of-town centres like Teesside Park.

"It is time for us to fight back and make sure we all work together to turn Redcar into an attractive centre for local people and visitors alike.

"New shops in Regent Walk have brought national names into the town. Now we need to look at how we can improve the rest of the town centre to attract independent shops, businesses and restaurants to bring in more trade.

Shopkeepers were also asked, at a workshop, for their views.

Town centre manager John Partridge said: "We were pleased with the support for the workshop, which raised a number of issues that we would want to take forward into an action plan."

The council expects the consultants to complete the survey in the new year.

The multi-million pound 23-unit Regent Walk shopping mall opened three years ago, creating hundreds of jobs.

A year later, the council announced a £208,696 make-over package to deal with empty properties in the town centre and replace eyesore kiosks.