Now is your chance to have your voice heard on the future development of the borough, as the council has asked for input into its plan for the next 14 years.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is holding a fact-gathering consultation to shape a major planning document which will help to guide and support sustainable development and investment to meet local needs in the borough until 2030.

It comes after councillors adopted what is known as the core strategy in December last year. This is one of two main planning documents which are the starting point for future decisions of the planning committee and planners.

The core strategy sets out two locations for major residential and employment development, at Beacon Park and the riverside land in central Great Yarmouth, sets a new housing target, and details overarching planning policies.

But now the core strategy is in place, the council's focus is now on shaping the detailed policies and site allocations document.

This will allocate the remaining sites for new development and provide development management policies for deciding planning applications.

The 'Call for Sites and Policy Suggestions' consultation, which is now underway, is an opportunity for developers, landowners, individuals, authorities or other interested parties to suggest sites they think are suitable for development, or areas for protection or other special policy treatment.

Other suggestions for what should be included in the document are also welcomed, although this document cannot change matters already decided by the core strategy, which has been adopted and independently assessed as sound and legally-compliant.

Council officers will assess all suggested sites and policies, which will help to inform the cross-party local plan working party in putting together a first draft of the document, which will be refined over the next two years through further rounds of public consultation.

Cllr Barry Coleman, chairman of the economic development committee, said: 'Development is about so much more than new homes – it is about jobs, community facilities and other infrastructure. This latest planning document, which will allocate specific sites and policies, aims to ensure this growth and investment happens in a sustainable, co-ordinated way, which meets the needs and aspirations of communities.

'This fact-gathering consultation is the first stage in shaping this document, helping the council draft up a range of possible sites and policies. We hope that lots of individuals and organisations will make suggestions to ensure that the first draft is up-to-date and is well informed by the community.'

If you have a site you wish to put forward, or suggestions for policies, please visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/planning-consultations to download the 'Call for Sites' letter and form, or pick up a hard copy from the Town Hall.

Completed forms must be returned to the Strategic Planning Team via email to localplan@great-yarmouth.gov.uk or by post to Strategic Planning, Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF by September 30, 2016. Members of the public with questions should email localplan@great-yarmouth.gov.uk or telephone the Strategic Planning Team on 01493 846688.