A STEERING group has been formed in Eckington to develop a parish plan, following an initiative from the Countryside Commission.

The agency believes the rich and varied character of rural settlements are under increasing threat from standardisation and poor design,

The Eckington plan will provide a vision of what the community considers to be important and how people who live in the parish would like to see things improve, resulting in a statement of where the community wants to be in the next five to 10 years.

The steering group has started a parish-wide consultation exercise, asking as many people from as many diverse organisations as possible: "Are you mad, sad or glad about Eckington?"

The responses, which are being gathered from just about everyone, from fishermen to Friends of the School, from tiny tots through to teenagers and Thursday Club pensioners, will form the basis of a more detailed house-to-house consultation exercise later in the year.

Steering group chairman Phil Sagar said there had already been a lot of interest.

He explained: "It is not just about sorting out the cars speeding on the road or whether or not to have street lighting in the village; the plan will be a vehicle for exploring a great many other issues, from car sharing schemes to greater co-operation between fundraisers.

"It will provide a development framework for the parish council, representing the views of all the parishioners."

Anyone wanting to register their views on what makes them mad, sad or glad about Eckington should call Phil Sagar on 01386 750401.