RESIDENTS in Lyme Regis will have the opportunity to shape the future of the town.

The town council is appealing for input from the local community to help ensure the needs of the town are met over the next four years.

Councillors are encouraging residents and visitors to come along to a drop-in session, Time to Talk, at Woodmead Halls next week.

Lyme Regis Mayor, Cllr Owen Lovell, said: "The council has been working on what it wants to do for the next four years, but it’s important to focus our aims on the town’s needs.

“It’s about balancing the needs of the community with the need for a strong local economy.

“We’ve got our own ideas about how that should be done, but we want to involve local residents and businesses in this process and make sure we’re working for the benefit of the whole community.

“It’s time for Lyme Regis to do the talking and for the council to listen and engage.”

The session at Woodmead Halls will take place on Friday, September 11, between 2pm and 7pm.

Councillors will be on hand to talk about the council’s proposals, to hear valuable feedback on its ideas, and to listen to suggestions from the community.

A loyalty card for residents, showers and changing facilities on the beach, tackling the seagull problem, a volunteer resource centre and apprenticeships are all among the ideas which have been suggested for the next couple of years.

Councillors are hoping to take on some major projects, including the management of Theatre Square and Church Cliff Walkway, and more facilities such as a café and toilet in the seafront gardens.

There are also proposals to increase the amount of small grants the council gives annually to local organisations, to provide better support for local events, and to help tackle crime and disorder.

Cllr Michaela Ellis, chairman of the council's strategy and policy committee, said: “These are just a few of the ideas we’ve discussed. There are lots more exciting proposals we would like to develop in consultation with the public.

“Some of our ideas are not entirely within the town council’s control, so we will be working with other local authorities on both sides of the border, local organisations and the business community to bring our plans to fruition.

“We are still in the very early stages of developing our aims, so if the town tells us they don’t like an idea it’s not too late to have a re-think.

“That’s why it’s so important for the community to come to our consultation event, Time to Talk, and influence local decision-making.”