Sustainable Communities

Market Towns Project

"To improve the competitiveness of small urban areas, market towns and rural centres in Leicestershire against a background of difficult economic circumstances"

Problems to be overcome include falling agricultural incomes, public transport access, loss of banks, building societies and professional services, impact of out-of-town retail centres, congestion and parking and maintenance of historic buildings.

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Completion Date: 31/03/2007

Location

Location - county-wide in all centres with more than 2,000 people

Project Description

There is a need to regenerate vulnerable market towns as healthy and attractive centres serving their own population and that of their rural hinterlands - Lord Haskins, Chairman, Rural Delivery Review, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The project falls into four areas:

1. To employ a roving town centre manager to assist in those settlements that do not have the funding or require the resource of a manager of their own. Town centre management is vital in helping to deliver and co-ordinate town centre initiatives by encouraging public/private sector partnerships in town centres and by developing and implementing town centre visions, strategies and action plans and by encouraging public consultation and joint working on key issues.

Current situation
Towns/Rural settlements in Leicestershire are all at different stages in their development - Hinckley & Loughborough have their own town centre managers who deliver some district council functions. Others, in conjunction with the Rural Community Council on behalf of the Leicestershire Rural partnership, are having 'Healthchecks' conducted - Earl Shilton, Bottesford, Broughton Astley and Thurmaston. Finally, Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough and Lutterworth have project managers funded for a time-limited period by the Countryside Agency and the work of the roving town centre manager will in part be to draw their expertise together and share good practice.

2. The Leicestershire Competitive Market Towns Initiative supports the competitiveness of these settlements by providing financial assistance to commercial property owners of up to £3500 per scheme. This allows the conversion of upper floors of properties into self-contained flats or working space - LOTS/WOTS (Living over the shop/Working over the shop), together with a shop front improvement grant of up to £2000 to improve the appearance of the town centres. This scheme complements both existing schemes run by district councils and HERS schemes (Heritage Regeneration schemes).

3. Environmental Streetscape Works - The project officer from the County Council sits on as many town centre partnerships as possible/master-planning exercises and chambers of trade etc and one of the highest priorities identified is to have short term hits with items such as hanging baskets, 'finger post' signs and maps to improve the appearance of these centres and attract more trade.

4. Following on from the above, a series of town centre shopping guides with a retail focus are being developed to be placed at nearby visitor attractions and accommodation providers and surrounding towns, with the aim of extending a visitor stay into a town centre. This has been developed in conjunction with Leicestershire Promotions to ensure continuity in presentation with their publications.

Outcomes

Towns and properties

• It is envisaged that a minimum of 12 properties will be assisted with LOTS/WOTS/shop front improvements, which will refurbish a minimum of 420sqm per year and provide an increase in the number of people living in market town/rural centres.
• There will be a minimum of ten towns assisted, in terms of environmental streetscape works and shopping guides.

Supporting businesses and the community

• The project will contribute to both the LSEP's and the East Midlands Development Agency's economic strategy by promoting an enterprise culture and ensuring business support structures give new enterprises the maximum chance of survival. Under the LSEP's Land and Buildings theme it will support the provision of small workspace and reclaimation of brown floorspace to support the local economy and contribute towards the enhancement of market towns. Under Sustainable Communities it will tackle social exclusion by providing practical support for local economic renewal and encouraging greater local pride.

Haskins report

• In his 2003 report on Rural Delivery Review prepapred on behalf of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Lord Haskins states that the economic performance of lagging rural areas must be addressed. In addition, by improving the market town streetscape and the number of affordable homes in market towns the economy is improved and employment potential increased.

Project Contacts

Project manager:
Helen Harris
Tel: 0116 265 7025
E-mail: hharris@leics.gov.uk
Website: www.leics.gov.uk

LSEP contact:
Gill Smitherman
Tel: 0116 257 5676
Email: gills@lsep.co.uk
Website: www.lsep.co.uk