BOSCOMBE and Pokesdown residents are being asked their views on new planning rules for the area.

After months of development by a team of local residents in conjunction with council officers, the Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan has been put out for public consultation.

Like other neighbourhood plans in development elsewhere in the county, the document contains a list of proposed planning rules tackling everything from overcrowding and poor quality parks to rundown shops and deteriorating heritage assets.

If approved, ultimately through a local referendum likely to take place at the end of the year at the earliest, the new rules will have to be applied by Bournemouth council to new applications and development plans in the area.

Neighbourhood Plan group chairman Harry Seccombe said: "We have spent a year-and-a-half putting together this draft plan through working groups, public meetings and focus groups and are eager to hear feedback from as many people as possible to help us tailor the final set of policies.

"Boscombe was historically built as a rival to Bournemouth and as a spa town and resort, and much of the splendid architecture is still there, and Pokesdown has its own history dating back considerably further than that of Boscombe.

"Many local people feel that more robust planning laws will help to shape Boscombe and Pokesdown’s future for the benefit of the people who live and work there and help attract investment, more families, sustainable infrastructure and transport as well as helping to preserve our heritage.

"We would love everybody to tell us what they thinks of the draft plan or if we have missed anything."

Mr Seccombe said organisers were particularly keen to hear "young people's voices" as "this plan will potentially benefit them most".

The consultation started on Saturday, January 20, and will last for six weeks.

There is a pop-up shop in the Sovereign Shopping Centre, next to Creative Kids at the Christchurch Road entrance, where residents can see the plan and talk to the team. This is open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am to 5pm.

The plan is also available to view, with questionnaires for feedback, at Boscombe, Southbourne and Bournemouth libraries, and can be downloaded from the website boscombepokesdown.org.uk with an online survey.

The plan has also been sent to 74 statutory agencies for comment.