Breadcrumbs
Taking the temperature of England’s market towns. Health checks for a fifth of towns – 20 September 2002
They are carrying out the Countryside Agency’s market towns ‘health checks’ to understand and tackle the problems and challenges they face now and in the future, according to Countryside Agency deputy chair Pam Warhurst - but more towns could benefit from taking their own temperature.
Speaking at today’s (Friday 20 September) Action for Market Towns convention in Ely, Pam Warhurst said: “Our scheme gets market towns measuring their ‘health’* and ability to provide essential services for the surrounding countryside. This means an action plan can then be put together to address a town’s problems. Since the scheme started in May last year 190 towns have signed up to do health checks and 120 of these have completed it and created their action plan.
“Here in Ely a health check has highlighted that there isn’t enough affordable housing and temporary accommodation, so their action plan will aim to tackle these problems. Having done a health check Thorne in Yorkshire, a deprived former colliery town, has decided to focus on young people as its priority, so has planned new meeting places and a skatepark to replace redundant and out dated facilities.
“While we’re really pleased that a fifth of towns have already got involved and are feeling the advantages, there are still many other market towns that would benefit who we’d like to see doing the health check. Any town interested in doing a health check can find all the information they need about how to do it on our website - ww.countryside.gov.uk/market-towns”
Some of the main issues thrown up so far by the health checks are:
- concerns about employment levels and the wish to maintain a healthy local economy through business diversification, more business space and boosted tourism;
- there’s a desire to engage young people and offer them more opportunities locally;
- better recreation facilities are badly needed;
- towns want to enhance their centres, retail areas, main approaches and derelict areas;
- and, for people living in rural communities around towns, adequate transport facilities really determine their quality of life.
The Countryside Agency’s information on how to do a health check and create an action plan are part of the market towns toolkit, which also contains advice about community participation, funding for projects, training, transport and business support. Information about the toolkit is available on the Countryside Agency’s website, along with details of your regional Countryside Agency office who can provide information about how the market towns initiative operates in your area. From October the website will carry new advice based on information from towns who have completed health checks.
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact the Countryside Agency press office: 020 7340 2909/7/6
*A ‘healthy’ market town needs a whole range of factors: economic, like attracting and retaining investment and a skilled workforce; environmental - conserving and creating high-quality landscapes and historic buildings; and social, such as bolstering civic pride and confidence.
The Countryside Agency and the Regional Development Agencies are half way through a three year programme in which they have £37 million to spend on revitalising England’s market towns.
The Countryside Agency Vital Villages project provides funding and advice for rural communities to improve their services.
The Countryside Agency supports Action for Market Towns, a national network for smaller towns and all those interested in their future. For further information phone AMT on 01284 756 567
The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising government and taking action on issues affecting the social, economic and environmental well being of the English countryside.
