RESIDENTS and organisations in Cleobury Mortimer are being invited to have a say in developments intended to give it an economic boost.

Under the umbrella of the Market Towns Initiative, the Cleobury Country Partnership has helped form a group to come up with a blueprint for Cleobury's future.

The Town Design Statement - TDS - will be a detailed guide explaining the character of Cleobury Mortimer.

It will outline the specific nature of the buildings and landscape that give it its distinctive character.

The document, expected to run to between 15 and 30 pages, will also include recommendations about how new developments, that enhance existing ones, can be encouraged, in line with Countryside Agency guidelines.

Key areas that will come under the microscope in the study include countryside, housing, transport, communication and industry.

The Cleobury Country Partnership is seeking as much input to the project as it can get from the local community, including individuals and businesses, as well as schools, churches and local associations.

Similar TDS exercises have already been carried out in neighbouring towns such as Ludlow and Craven Arms.

A member of Cleobury's TDS committee, Bill Duley, said: "The TDS, possibly more than any other town project, can reinforce and redefine Cleobury Mortimer's sense of place to those who have lived here for generations," adding it would also provide "a greater appreciation of this area's uniqueness."

For those new to Cleobury, it would provide "the revelation of a hidden gem" in the south Shropshire countryside.

A meeting will be held in Cleobury's Market Hall, to explain more about the TDS and the part it will play in community development, on Tuesday, May 10, at 7.30pm.