Breadcrumbs
Three more Beacons in the Market Towns Initiative - 23 August 2004
The projects identified by the new Beacon Towns are:
In Evesham, the Market Town Partnership will be working with key partners to develop a range of pilot initiatives aimed at improving the understanding of the issues around short term contract workers employed by local food and farming businesses. Such employment, although essential to the economic success of the businesses, can create pressures on local housing, transport safety, fear of crime and the exploitation of workers.
In Spalding and South Holland, another key centre for horticulture, agricultural activity and food production, the Beacon Town work will support a number of projects aimed at improving understanding of how market towns can provide methods of community integration for short term contract workers.
In Uttoxeter, key partners involved in the Uttoxeter Plus Market Town Initiative have identified the need to produce an integrated transport plan for the town and surrounding area.
The three towns bring the total number of Beacon towns in England to 18.
Pam Warhurst, Chair of the Countryside Agency said: ""We are delighted with the enthusiasm with which market towns have grasped the opportunities to find solutions to these challenging issues. We have selected Evesham, Spalding and Uttoxeter as 'beacons' to develop imaginative long term solutions which will not only benefit their local communities but means they can share their experiences and solutions with towns across the country."
The Rural White Paper 2000 recognised the crucial role that market towns play in rural life and tasked the Countryside Agency with developing and promoting a market towns healthcheck, to identify good practice and identify and support a national beacon town network as part of an overall approach to revitalising market towns in partnership with the regional development agencies.
Beacon Towns will influence policy at regional, national and EU level and encourage others to follow their lead. It is important to note that the term, "Beacon", does not mean they are in some way the best. Beacon Towns have been selected because their town partnerships are interested in particular topics, or are running projects that are of interest in terms of both policy and practice. The towns also have strong partnerships in that are willing and able to "tell their stories".
Beacon Towns are an integral part of the Market Towns Initiative, and the lessons learnt from them will be fed into Countryside Agency policy to enable other market towns and the Agency's partners to benefit from their experiences and knowledge.
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Notes to editors:
For more information please contact the Countryside Agency press office on 020 7340 2909.
Working with the regional development agencies, the Countryside Agency's Market Towns Initiative aims to bring a new lease of life to market towns so they provide access to the services that communities depend on. The initiative includes a toolkit containing practical guidance on how to do a market town healthcheck and advice about community participation, funding, for projects, training, transport and business support. All towns can access the toolkit at: www.countryside.gov.uk/market-towns
The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone. Funds for our market towns work come through Defra's annual grant in aid to the Agency.
The Beacon Towns in England are:
Group One - July 2003
Barnard Castle with Middleton-in-Teesdale, Durham; Belper, Derbyshire; Bridport, Dorset; Faringdon, Oxfordshire; Richmond, North Yorkshire; Hexham and Haltwhistle, Northumberland; Whitby, North Yorkshire; Wolverton - Milton Keynes.
Group Two - January 2004
Brigg, North Lincolnshire; Carterton, Oxfordshire; Keswick and Longtown, Cumbria; Newmarket, Suffolk; Thirsk, North Yorkshire.
Group Three - August 2004
Evesham, Worcestershire; Uttoxeter, Staffordshire; Spalding, Lincolnshire.
