Homeowners, youngsters, business owners and community groups have all grasped the chance to shape the Sid Valley before the final consultation ends on Friday.

People have responded in their thousands to four successive Neighbourhood Plan questionnaires over the last 15 months.

The results will feed into a draft plan the steering groups hopes to publish in October – a key milestone on the way to a referendum and the blueprint ultimately being adopted.

Reflecting on the feedback so far, chairman Deirdre Hounsom said: “We’ve received important messages about concerns that residents share – problems with traffic and congestion, unease about local planning decisions, a perceived lack of affordable housing for local people and a population that is not balanced in terms of age and diversity.

“Whilst people may weigh issues differently, the responses show the care, concerns and foresight people have in thinking about what will make the Sid Valley a vibrant destination to live, work and play.

“Our task is to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan which will support the whole community to achieve and maintain the full potential, delivering the framework for a positive future where our heritage and values are preserved, whilst being responsive to new and changing times.

“The core aspects of the Neighbourhood Plan deal with how we want to best use our land resources not just for housing and amenities, but to maintain and develop a healthy economy for the future, with the Eastern Town regeneration around Port Royal featuring prominently.

“We’ve learned, however, that people have ideas and concerns which are not to do with land, for example community issues such as health care, education, social care and welfare, and ideas on a range of matters from economic issues such as tourism to cultural, sporting and leisure activities.

“We very much hope that our 15 months of carefully planned consultations will continue to serve the community well across the full spectrum of our key themes.”

The second household survey officially closes today but the collection boxes at the drop-off points will not be emptied until Monday (July 3).

It can also be completed online at www.sidvalleyneighbourhoodplan.com. The steering group particularly wants to hear from working age residents to ensure the results are balanced.