Everyone thinks they could plan towns better. Now you can test your planning skills thanks to a new online game called My Place.

My Place, developed by the South East England Regional Assembly, aims to improve understanding of town planning particularly among young people. It highlights the conflicting priorities involved in building a community. Players must choose how best to use land and where to place infrastructure in order to create their own thriving town.

The game will be officially launched by Cllr Keith Mitchell CBE, Chairman of the Regional Assembly, at the Local Government Association Annual Conference and Exhibition in Birmingham on 3 July. Try your own hand at town planning with a preview on the Assembly's youth website at: www.seeme.org.uk.

Cllr Mitchell said:

"My Place illustrates the challenges of planning, and the range of issues to be considered, including flooding and the Green Belt, in a simple and fun way. Developing the game is part of the Assembly's strategy to explain the planning process and open it up to a wider audience."

Contacts

Alistair Moses, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555221

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. The game will be launched at 12.30pm on Stand B30 in the Main Exhibition Hall of the International Convention Centre in Birmingham at the LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2007.
   
   
2. My Place is also available on the Assembly's youth website www.seeme.org.uk from that time.
   
   
3. The Assembly is a partnership of councils and communities in the South East region. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
   
   
4. The Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
   
   
5. The Assembly has six roles:
1. Regional Planning
   preparing and delivering the South East Plan
2. Regional Housing
   the Regional Housing Board decides housing investment priorities
3. Regional Transport
   the Regional Transport Board decides transport investment priorities
4. Advocacy
   pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels
5. Accountability
   scrutinising SEEDA's plans and impact
6. Alignment
   co-ordinating regional policies and decisions.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007