Phase 1 of the Haverhill Town Centre Masterplan public consultation ends on April 17 but there’s still time to give your views on the broad ‘issues and options’ that need to be considered in preparing the plan.

Members of the public can have their say by visiting www.onehaverhill.co.uk and following the link to the consultation questionnaire and there are hard copy questionnaires available in Haverhill Library, Haverhill House and Haverhill Arts Centre.

In the Vision 2031 Plan for Haverhill it was identified that a new town centre master plan was needed to enable the town to be promoted effectively to potential investors and guide them onwhat the community wants its centre to look like in the future.

Phase 1 of the consultation runs from March 9 until Friday 17 April. Views from the public will shape the development of a draft masterplan for Haverhill town centre. Phase 2 will last a further six weeks from Monday 8 June to Friday 17 July, when the public will be asked to review a draft town centre master plan drawn up from the comments and views given in phase 1.

Sarah Howard, Chairman of ONE Haverhill Board, said: “Please take time to fill out this questionnaire. I think many of us feel strongly that improvements need to be made to our town centre and this will inform potential investors, local authorities and others to what we want as a community in Haverhill.”

Previously, St Edmundsbury Borough Council has led the consultation on Haverhill’s town centre master plan but this time it has asked ONE Haverhill, an independent partnership that brings organisations and resources together in the town, to deliver the consultation guided by independent experienced planning experts. It is believed to be the first time a local authority has asked a community organisation within a town to lead on such a consultation.

The aim is to have the masterplan completed in September and will provide a more detailed framework specifically covering the town centre that will build upon the strategy in Haverhill Vision 2031. It is being prepared as a formal ‘supplementary planning document’ with the aim of it also being adopted by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.