East Riding Council is preparing a blueprint known as the Local Development Framework, which will form the development plan for the region and be used to determine where and how new places should be built for people to live and work.

The LDF will be used to decide planning applications for investment and development proposals for the next 15 to 20 years and the council is launching its document for public consultation.

This is the first stage in preparing the LDF core strategy and sets out the issues and options, including housing need, rising population, access to services and facilities, support for economic development, maintaining landscape quality, flood risk, climate change and coastal erosion. Various planning options are set out to deal with these issues.

The public consultation runs until June 13. The core strategy issues and options document can be viewed online at www.eastriding.gov.uk/planning/ldf and is also available in libraries and the council’s customer service centres.

In addition, the council has arranged a number of special surgeries and displays to give residents an opportunity to find out more and put questions to council officials. A manned surgery will be held at Beverley Library/Treasure House on June 3 from 2 to 6pm, and there will be an unmanned display at the same venue from May 31 to June 5.

When the consultation is completed, a further draft will be published for consultation next year before the document is submitted to the Government. This will be followed by an independent examination in public. The core strategy will then be adopted in early 2011.