Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum No Small Matter 15/05/2007

• Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum

• No Small Matter - 15/05/2007

• Kirsten Francis

• Market Towns and Services Specialist Advisor

• One NorthEast

Context

• Context

• Market Town Activities

• Investment Strategy
• Work in Berwick
• Market Town Distinctiveness

Worst performing economy of any English region:

• Worst performing economy of any English region:

• Low productivity levels
• Not enough businesses
• Worklessness
• Deprivation
• Need for higher skills
• Decline of traditional manufacturing employment
• Demographics
• Limited connectivity
• Regional delivery of national policy
• Housing offer meets the needs of previous industrial structure as opposed to knowledge economy

Focus investment on the economic hearts of our region through City Region Development programmes

• Focus investment on the economic hearts of our region through City Region Development programmes

• Complement activity in the City Regions by Developing and Implementing a Strategic Approach to Market Towns

• 5,00 – 20,000 population

• Rural

• Economic Centre and Service Centre

• Currently 12 towns, Berwick – Wooler

• Local Development Trusts

• Strategy for Investment in Market Towns

• Master Planning and Visioning in Berwick

• Market Towns Distinctiveness Project

Influenced by South West Market and Costal Towns Programme

• Influenced by South West Market and Costal Towns Programme

• Prepare plans for the future covering all aspects of

• community life in their towns and surrounding rural areas

• • Develop their skills and organisational capacity to be

• effective partners

• • Share good practice and learn from local, regional,

• national and international experience

• • Secure funding and professional assistance through brokerage

• Market towns in the North East will be sustainable, enduring and active contributors to the development of regional prosperity by working in partnership with the city regions to achieve shared objectives

• Great Potential – “Mini Edinburgh”

• History of Non Delivery

• Gillespies produced a Visioning Document

• Great Plans but capacity is a problem

• Capacity Study with Kevin Murray Associates

• Delivery mechanism – various options

BACKGROUND

• BACKGROUND

• New Economics Foundation – Clone Town and Ghost Town Publications

• Culture North East Report     

• “An examination of the diversity and distinctiveness of the retail environment in the North East of England” Culture North East Sept 2005

• One North East engage Miller Research to work on three pilot towns

• Alnwick, Barnard Castle, Guisborough

Literature Search

• Literature Search

• Market Research Focus Groups

• Research What Investors are looking for

• Studies of Successful Market Towns

• Key Findings Report

• Survey of the Three Towns

• Produce an Agreed Action Plan for each Town

• Produce Best Practice Tool Kit

Action Plans

• Action Plans

• Place Making – Physical Elements

• Place Management – People Aspects

• How do we achieve this?

• Partnership approach essential

• Business engagement essential

• Scarcity of funding

• Currently exploring a range of options

• BIDS Academy