The letters UDP stand for 'Unitary Development Plan': the document - a map of the city plus a set of written policies - which will form the basis of future planning decisions in Liverpool. We do, in fact, already have a UDP (the Gateacre Society having been among the organisations and individuals who commented on it when it was first drafted) but it took eight years to produce and is, as a result, out of date. Now the Council's planning officers are working on a replacement - and are hoping that this time the job will be completed both more quickly and more in line with what the people of Liverpool actually want.

An 'Issues Paper' has been published, and a 'Response Booklet' which invites answers to a whole series of questions on topics such as housing, the city centre, transport, economic regeneration and the environment. There will also be a series of public meetings and 'workshops' at which local people can put forward their points of view. The one for Gateacre (also covering Netherley and Woolton) will take place on Tuesday 21st January, starting at 6 pm, at the Millennium Centre, Childwall Valley Road, L25: the new building to the west of the Belle Vale Road traffic lights.

Anyone interested is invited to attend - or to contact Mike Eccles at the City Council for further details: phone 233 5653, e-mail udpreview@liverpool.gov.uk