Revitalising The Region's Market Towns

01/06/2000

A major programme of assistance aimed at revitalising market towns in the Yorkshire and Humber region was launched today in Malton, North Yorkshire, by the Countryside Agency and Yorkshire Forward.

This ground breaking initiative - the first of its kind in the country - will provide direct financial assistance for up to 18 towns over the next six years to help reinforce their role as local service centres for residents, businesses and the surrounding local communities.

Initially, six towns will be selected for assistance from across the region and will receive, from the two Agencies, an average of £340,000 per town over a three-year period.  This will help pay for the development of an Action Plan for the town, administration costs for a local partnership, project funding and a final evaluation of the scheme.

However, with matched funding also included, it is anticipated that each town participating in the programme will receive new investment totalling over £1million from the two Agencies and other partners.

Acting as a pilot scheme for the Countryside Agency nationally, it is anticipated that if successful, the programme will be implemented throughout the country.

The launch was attended by a specially invited audience of over 100 national government, local authority members, officers, business and community representatives.

Participants in the event included Richard Wakeford, Chief Executive of the Countryside Agency and representatives from Action for Market Towns, Living Over The Shop and Yorkshire Forward.

Initiative manager, David Gluck of the Countryside Agency said:

""The initiative is designed to lead the way and help assess the most effective ways for market towns to re-establish themselves as regional service centres.

""We are defining Market Towns as communities of between 2,000 and 30,000 population which act as a service centre for a wide rural area - in other words, not necessarily towns with a traditional market, but ranging from coalfield communities and seaside towns to textile and traditional agricultural market towns.

""Each selected town will be supported to produce a detailed Action Plan for the development of their community and surrounding rural hinterland.  This Plan, produced in the first six months of the project, will involve three years implementing projects identified. Assistance from the two Agencies will be matched by a wide variety of organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors, including the European Union.""

The initiative aims to re-establish market towns as:

* comprehensive service centres, adequately filling the gap between village and city

* the focus of properly planned and co-ordinated public transport

* places that capitalise upon and seek to maintain their distinctive character, heritage and environment

* vibrant, sustainable communities where development for housing, business, development, and jobs in particular, are welcomed because they reinforce the character of the place while meeting the needs of rural society and contributing to the wealth of the region.

Each town selected will be required to consult fully with their communities and develop Action Plans which address economy, environment and social needs in equal measure.

The new initiative will not be a 'competitive fund', as the two Agencies will select towns for inclusion in the programme on the basis of need, opportunity and commitment of the local partners. It is expected that assistance will be given to a wide range of different types of town across the whole of the region. 

Over the coming months, The Countryside Agency and Yorkshire Forward will be consulting with its partners across the region, in particular local authorities, regarding the first tranche of six towns for inclusion in this programme.

John Haymes, acting executive director of environment and development, Yorkshire Forward said:

""Yorkshire Forward is committed to developing the potential of market towns as centres of rural services and enterprise, as outlined in the Regional Economic Strategy. Sustainable economic growth is essential to the health of rural communities and their surrounding areas. By implementing the Market Towns Initiative, we will help towns re-establish their role as service centres for the wider rural areas.

""The Market Towns Initiative will complement other Yorkshire Forward initiatives that will benefit rural areas such as the Yorkshire Forward Development Fund spending on the Rural Business Initiative, Redundant Building Grant and Rural Development Programmes.""

David adds background by stating:

""Traditionally market towns have been at the heart of life in rural England - acting as focal points in which to find work, to buy or sell goods or to find specialist services. However in the last 50 years many of these functions have been undermined by substantial social, industrial and agricultural change.

""Some towns are adapting to meet the changing demands and thriving, but there are many which continue to feel the pressure - from shoppers being lured away to out of town shopping centres to the current difficulties facing the agricultural sector. It is these market towns which the Countryside Agency aims to help revitalise.

""We see a new role for market towns. Our vision is one of reinvigorated rural centres which meet the needs of local people and provide access to a wide range of retail, leisure, professional and public services.

""We see towns whose futures are shaped by the people and communities who live in and around them and we believe that it is possible for towns to retain their character while at the same time responding to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

""The Yorkshire and Humber Region initiative will act as a pilot scheme, helping to provide a national framework for market town revitalisation that others can follow. It is a daunting but exciting task and we look forward to meeting the challenges that lie ahead.

""Malton and Norton were chosen as a venue for the launch because they provide a clear example of the pressures facing the region's market towns, from competition from out of town shopping centres to a downturn in the agricultural sector. However positive action is already being taken to help revitalise the towns.

""A partnership approach, incorporating public, private and voluntary sector bodies, has recently been established. A pilot town centre management scheme, including a District Council, Countryside Agency and Fitzwilliam Estate funded town centre management team, has also been set up to implement an action plan which was agreed after public consultation.

""Whilst there is a long way to go, this new initiative is designed to help towns find the right way forward in addressing their own specific problems and issues.""