Chairmans Report

1
Chairmans Report

• A Review of Our First Sixteen Months
• September 2005 December 2006

2
Partnership Aims

• To drive forward the Alton 2020 Town Plan
  ensuring that, whilst adhering to fundamentals,
  it is responsive to changing events and the
  evolving needs and wishes of the people of Alton.
  
• In partnership with all organisations and
  individuals within the Town to generate
  increasing support for the plan and its aims
• To secure funding and other necessary support to
  implement projects within the Town Plan
• To help co-ordinate development activities within
  the Town and its surrounding villages and ensure
  more effective representation of all such
  interests to relevant decision making bodies
  ATC, EHDC, HCC, SEEDA, SEERA, GOSE etc.
• To maintain public involvement, regularly
  publicising progress to local people,
  organisations and funding partners

3
How We are Trying to Work

• Unencumbered
• Not trying to reinvent the wheel
• Not adding another layer of bureaucracy
• But
• As far as is possible, working with and through
  existing structures and organisations, to
  co-ordinate and combine so that together as a
  community, we can
• Minimise duplication of effort
• Achieve Greater Impact
• Exercise Greater Power
• Gain Greater Control over our own future.
• Make our Town a better place for all its people
  to live

4
Structure
Alton Town Partnership Executive Up to12
Nominated / Elected Members 2 Alton Town
Councillors Alton Chamber of Commerce
Industry Alton Initiatives Management Alton
Community Association (vacant) Alton
Society Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary,
Treasurer. Chair Chris McCallum
Environment Leader Mike Heelis
Local Economy Leader Stephen Lewis pro tem
Transport Travel Leader Bill Jabelman
Health, Community Recreation
Community Recreation Leader Jan Nicholas
Health Leader Deborah McCallum
5
Members of your Executive

• Chair Chris McCallum
• Vice Chair Jan Nicholas
• Secretary Bill Jabelman
• Working Group Leaders
• Local Economy Vacant
• Environment Mike Heelis
• Travel Transport Bill Jabelman
• Health, Community Recreation Jan Nicholas
• Healthcare Sub Group Deborah Ellwood
• ATC Representative and Treasurer pro-tem
  David Willoughby
• ATC Representative Dave Crocker
• ACCI Representative and Local Economy Working
  Group Leader pro-tem Stephen Lewis
• Alton College Jane Machell with Steve MacCormack
  deputising as required
• ACA Representative Vacant
•  

6
In The Beginning

• Visual Identity
• Bank Account
• Working Group Remits
• Child Protection and Discrimination Policies
• Reporting Procedures
• Open Meetings Open Documentation
• Open Informal Membership
• Contact Database
• Domain Name www.alton-in-partnership.org
• Website established and developing much more to
  come
• Need for Press Officer established voluntary
  role remains vacant
• Funding for administration and communication
  costs
• ATC 500
• HCC 750

7
Highlights Local Economy

• Alton 2020 Business Initiative
• 100k SEEDA / EHDC funding granted in October
  2005
• Contract Tender Process
• Initiative launched March 2006
• Managed for regulatory reasonson the
  Partnerships behalf by Economic Development
  Office EHDC
• Implemented through Alton Initiatives Management
  Ltd
• ATP Business Initiative Facilitator Vernon
  Pearce
• Five Seminars with more in the pipeline
• Business to Business Consortium networking /
  joint contract bids
• Mill Lane Industrial Estate Regeneration
  Feasibility Study
• Current condition
• Opportunities for Improvement
• Sources of investment / ways to achieve
  improvements needed
• Report due end March 2007

8
Highlights Local Economy

• Town Centre Retail Survey
• Successful Competitive bid for 20k funding from
  Learning and Skills Council
• High Street Shopper Survey
• Mystery Shoppers
• Retailer Survey
• Free Retailer consultancy on findings
• Further useful information to use ensuring the
  town gets the shopping experience it needs

9
Highlights HealthCare, Community Recreation

• Truly Effective Partnership Working
• With the many existing groups and organisations
  across the town already active in these areas
• Part of Alton Community Stakeholders Group
• Overseeing the re-opening of Inwood ward
• Now ensuring that PCT promises are kept
• Looking forward to future needs

10
Highlights Environment

• The Town Design Statement
• Major project of critical importance to the
  development of our town
• From the bottom up, what the people of Alton
• Value about the place they live in
• What they wish all areas of their town to look
  like
• How they want to see their town and their
  neighbourhood develop
• Large-scale public survey - data on public
  attitudes and opinions
• Good foundations established through the
  dedicated work of the few now it is for the
  many to amend and develop this beginning
• Major programme of Public Involvement
• Community Forum, Presentation and Workshop
  Session
• Funding award 2000
• Three further Workshops planned as the Statement
  moves towards its completion

11
Highlights Travel Transport

• Extensive and active participation of disabled
  townsfolk
• Valuable insights
• Enlarging the scope of enquiries, projects and
  activities
• Public Travel and Transport Survey
• Accessibility at Alton Railway Station

12
Highlights

• Developing Community Partnership
• Public involvement and Consultation regarding
  proposed Coors development
• How Partnerships should be supported by District
  and County Councils
• Issue now firmly on the agenda
• Alton as Pilot Partnership in EHDC response
• Support and Funding
• Alton Town Council 2000 for fiscal year 2007
  2008
• Great Support
• A challenging responsibility

13
2007 and Beyond

• Key Aspirations for the Immediate Future

14
Key Objectives

• Determine the most suitable legal and
  organisational structure for the Partnership
• Fit to meet the tasks and challenges ahead
• Develop Fundraising Effectiveness
• Information
• Skills
• Improve the web presence of Alton and all its key
  organisations
• A Family of websites
• The best source of information for all living,
  learning, working, visiting
• A real showcase for Alton all it stands for
  and all it has to offer

15
Key Objectives

• To Complete the Town Design Statement and achieve
  Supplementary Planning Guidance
• Public involvement Critical and Essential
• Two Public Workshops 10th March 21st April
  Assembly Rooms
• Its our Town. What do we value? What should
  be protected? What do you want the town to look
  like in the future? How should development be
  influenced? Get involved!
• Major publicity drive Leaflets, Press Articles,
  Radio Plugs
• Extensive contact with and presentation to other
  groups in Alton and surrounding Parishes
• Request for support from Town and District
  Councillors in encouraging their constituents to
  participate
• At least one further Public Involvement Exercise
• Access adequate Funding to publish a document
  worthy of all the effort

16
Key Objectives

• Complete Mill Lane Industrial Estate Feasibility
  Study
• Initiate significant regeneration projects
• Maintain momentum of Alton 2020 Business
  Initiative
• Seek Funding for and with Public Involvement,
  initiate a Feasibility Study for the
  redevelopment of the Station Approach
• Key Community Resource
• Attractive and inviting Gateway to the Alton
• To ensure continued proper provision of Sporting
  Facilities within the town
• Commitment to the construction of a new enlarged
  Sports Centre

17
Key Objectives

• To work with Alton Health Centre Practice to
  ensure an enlarged and improved Health Centre
• To have firm plans agreed by PCT by the year end
• To work for the continued provision of improved
  facilities at Alton Community Hospital
• 12 further beds by the end of the year
• To Complete the Town Traffic Survey
• To complete the Public Travel Transport survey
• All community groups On-line response facility
• Feed analysis of results into evolving
  development plans
• To have firm plans for and Stakeholder commitment
  to the implementation of Access Improvements at
  Alton Station

18
Is there anything that you could do?

• Ask not what your country can do for you, but
  what you can do for your country
• John F
  Kennedy Inauguration Address 1962