Market Town Healthchecks -from diagnosis to treatment

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Market Town Healthchecks-from diagnosis to
treatment

• Chris Wade
• Chief Executive
• Action for Market Towns

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From Diagnosis to Treatment

• Taking Healthchecks Forward
• Investing in Town Partnerships
• Supporting Town Partnerships

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Taking Healthchecks Forward
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Taking the Healthcheck Forward
Market Towns Healthcheck
Inclusive Town Partnership

• Action Plan
• Social
• Economic
• Environmental

Mainstreaming in public sector e.g. Local
Strategic Partnership
Independent structure e.g. development trust,
charity
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Top-ten Town Issues from Healthchecks

• Road traffic
• Deficiencies of the town environment
• Inadequacies of public transport
• Inadequacies of facilities for young people
• Inadequacies of leisure and recreation facilities
  
• Poor range and quality of local shops
• Neglect of the towns tourism potential
• Insufficient facilities and support for local
  business
• Poor quality of employment
• Affordable housing
• Health and health-care issues

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Outstanding Issues in Plans
30
25
20
Partnenships
Officers
15
Members
10
5
0
Other
Crime
Social issues
Local politics
Time needed
Rural isolation
Loss of funding
Youth provision
Unemployment
Traffic/ transport
Affordable housing
Future sustainability
Change in legislation
Loss of local services
Decline of agriculture
Local economic decline
Funding eligibilty issues
Specific environmental issues
Significant Unadressed Problems
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A Broader Focus
There is a recognition and acceptance that many
key issues for rural areas cannot be addressed
through the activities of MTI, chief amongst
these being affordable housing and local economic
restructuring However, there is an indication
that towns can begin to influence these issues by
working with local policy makers Assessment
of the Market Towns Initiative, (Entec UK Ltd.,
2004)
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Investing in Town Partnerships
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Building Capacity,Building on Success

• The analysis carried out and described above has
  highlighted that MTPs can, in the right
  circumstances, provide a valuable role at both a
  local and regional level.
• The capacity that the MTI has helped to create
  is, in the view of the overwhelming majority of
  stakeholders engaged in producing this report,
  worthy of building on and sustaining,
  particularly in the current context of change
  planned for the region.

Tribal HCH, May 2005 Framework for the Future
of Market Towns in the East of England
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Continued Role and Potential for Partnerships

• An economic role
• A project delivery role
• A community relations role
• A strategic planning and development role

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Charting Partnership Development
Origins gtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtgt Development gtgtgtgtgtgtgtgtSuccession
Programme-based, strategically-focused and
authority-led
Strategic line
Central line
Bottom line
Community-based, action-orientated and
independently-run
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Frodsham Forward, Cheshire

• ORIGINS
• Created in 2003 as part of MTI
• Local Authority-led
• FORWARD PLANNING
• 2.4 million secured
• Influence action
• Delegated grant fund
• www.frodshamforward.org

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Wayland Partnership, Norfolk

• ORIGINS
• Formed in 1999 by community activists
• Response to general decline
• FORWARD PLANNING
• 5 f/t staff equivalent
• Development Trust
• Chairs LSP
• Acquired and developed building as an asset
• www.wayland.org.uk

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Supporting Town Partnerships
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Introducing Action for Market Towns

• A national membership organisation dedicated to
  promoting the vitality and viability of small
  towns through an integrated approach
• Directly supporting regional networks
• Providing services and advice for members
• Serving as an authoritative national voice

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Supporting Regional Networks

• East of England Market Towns Network
• East Midlands Market Towns Network
• South East Rural Towns Partnership
• West Midlands Market Towns Forum
• Yorkshire and Humber Market Towns Network

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Providing Services to Members

• Enhanced web site network
• Library incl. 230 Healthchecks and Actions Plans
  Healthcheck Handbook 2005
• GrantNet
• Market Towns Network
• Publications
• Seminars events, including Annual Convention
• National Market Town Awards

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Visit www.towns.org.uk

• Registration to Market Towns Network is FREE
• Full membership starts at 9 per month
• Contact
• info_at_towns.org.uk
• 0845 6446202