Doncaster residents asked to share opinions on future of city centre in new survey

The results of the consultation will be used when making decisions about future developments in and around the city centre.

The feedback gained will also provide further information to support the development of the city’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ submission to government.

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “There are so many fantastic places that make up our great city of Doncaster and the front door to them all is our city centre.

"City centres have changed dramatically over the past decade, which increased considerably during and following the pandemic with a further increase in online shopping and large retailers moving out of town and city centres across the country.

"We need to make sure that our city centre is still a place that people want to live, visit and work in – a place people can enjoy and want to keep coming back to.

“Doncaster is characterised by its overwhelming community spirit and our grit and resilience to get through tough times as well as being a very friendly and welcoming place and this makes us stand out from the crowd. We are the north’s newest city and we want to become the most vibrant.

“My vision for Doncaster is that we have more culture, leisure, education and residential areas within our city centre alongside health services. Making our city centre more connected for communities across Doncaster is key; with more on offer and key services that people need.

“We have done a lot of work in recent years to regenerate areas in the city centre and to appreciate and protect our culture, heritage and our valued Doncaster Markets.

"We are optimistic about the future, and we have plans for further changes and improvements, but we want to make sure that what we do is what Doncaster people want and need from their city centre. It is our city centre, and this is your opportunity to help shape its future.

“We know there are issues and as part of our future plans we will be continuing to tackle these, including making people feel safer in the city centre, but we also want people to tell us what would make a positive difference to our city centre and would mean they would visit more.

"I encourage everyone in Doncaster to be part of the conversation. We want to hear your thoughts on what’s important to you about your city centre.”

Doncaster’s Big City Conversation will run until the end of June. You can join the conversation by attending a face-to-face session in community settings across the city or, if you’d prefer, you can complete an online questionnaire and tell council chiefs what you think.

To take part in the online survey visit www.doncastertalks.com/bigcityconversation

Find out more information and how to take part in the face-to-face workshops by visiting https://www.teamdoncaster.org.uk/doncaster-new-city-new-vision

The City of Doncaster Council and the Doncaster Chamber are encouraging local businesses to give their views on the city centre in a separate and more business focussed consultation. Businesses can take part in the Town and City Centre survey by visiting https://www.doncaster-chamber.co.uk/2024/05/13/south-yorkshire-town-and-city-centre-survey/