RINGWOOD residents are getting the chance to influence a planning blueprint being drawn up by New Forest district council which could reshape the town centre.

Four options for the future development of the Furlong car park including shops, community buildings and the possibility of the district's first multi-storey car park have been drawn up by consultants for the council which owns the site.

Now local folk are being canvassed for their views on the various schemes with leaflets and questionnaires delivered to every household in the town over the coming weeks.

Ringwood ward councillor and district planning and transportation portfolio holder, Chris Treleaven, said: "The challenge for Ringwood is finding the best way of managing its own success."

"So many people want to live here, work here and visit the town, for both shopping and leisure, that pressures for new development are strong."

"It is therefore important for the council to have an acceptable design brief for this area before considering possible sale or lease of part of this car park to potential commercial and retail developers in the future," added Cllr Treleaven who has been working on the plans with his fellow Ringwood councillors and district planning chief Chris Elliott.

The first and most ambitious of the options to be put to residents features multi-storey parking and an additional 3,000 metres of shopping development with a theatre-style community hall and public offices, a new public square and a new bus station and taxi area.

Option Two includes 4,000 square metres of new shopping, double-decking part of the car park to create 300 extra spaces, the new square, the new bus and taxi facility, new toilets and visitor information centre.

The more modest third option is for a community hall, new public offices, visitor information centre and toilets, without the benefit of spin off funding from commercial development.

And the final option is for no new development other than the planned replacement of toilets and tourist information centre.

Residents will have until October 14 to send in their preferences and the result of the survey will be reported to the district council cabinet, probably later in the year.

Cllr Treleaven said: "It is very important that as many people as possible do respond. These plans could offer the town advantages for the future."