York's residents will be asked for their views on the city's future as part of a major  city-wide consultation later this month.

The Festival of Ideas 2 is being organised by York's Local Strategic Partnership, Without Walls, and City of York Council's City Development team. The festival runs from 17 September until 31 October.  Views gathered during the first Festival of Ideas held in 2003, were used to produce York’s first ever Vision and Community Strategy.

The festival involves a wide range of opportunities for people to contribute their views on York's future, including a city conference, which will be held on 16 October at the Park Inn Hotel, and exhibitions across the city.

The aim of the festival is to find out how residents feel the more difficult challenges facing the city should be tackled.  Issues like how to address traffic congestion and ensure the city’s housing needs are met.. As part of the consultation every household in York will receive a 12 question-questionnaire that asks for their views on the issues facing the city.

Exhibitions will be held on:

B+Q, Hull Road, 26 September, 10am - 4pm

Parliament Street/St Sampson’s Sq, 4- 6 October, 10am - 4pm

Tesco, Clifton Moor, 23 October, 10am, - 4pm

Tesco, Askham Bar, 24 October, 10am - 4pm

Bill Woolley, City Strategy Director, said: "The original Festival of Ideas received a fantastic response and we will use those views as our starting point. But there have been a number of significant changes in the city since then and we wanted to ask people some more in-depth questions about how they want to see York in the future.

"For many people York is already a great place to live, but is enough being done to make sure that everyone benefits from the city’s prosperity? Successful communities have a number of things in common, including homes at affordable prices, a clean, safe environment and excellent services. We want to find out what people's priorities are, so we can try to ensure we make York the best place possible to live, work and visit."

The results from the festival will be used to revise the Vision and Community Strategy and to develop the council's Core Strategy document. The Core Strategy is one part of the city's Local Development Framework - a national requirement - which will shape the way York develops over the next 20 years, and which will replace the existing Local Plan.

For the full Festival of Ideas 2 programme or for copies of the consultation documents, look on the council's website at www.york.gov.uk/environment/FestivalofIdeas2/ or contact the City development team on 01904 551466.