Revitalizing Market Towns: Unlocking Economic Potential

1. Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum No Small Matter - 15/05/2007 Kirsten Francis Market Towns and Services Specialist Advisor One NorthEast

2. Context • Market Town Activities • Investment Strategy • Work in Berwick • Market Town Distinctiveness

3. North East - Challenges • 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

4. One NorthEast Response • 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. Market Towns • 5,00 – 20,000 population • Rural • Economic Centre and Service Centre • Currently 12 towns, Berwick – Wooler • Local Development Trusts

6. Specific activities • Strategy for Investment in Market Towns • Master Planning and Visioning in Berwick • Market Towns Distinctiveness Project

7. Strategy for Investment in Market Towns 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

8. Strategic Intent 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

9. Role of the RDA One NorthEast effectively deploys its skills, knowledge and resources to ensure flourishing, diverse local economy One NorthEast plays a leadership role in bringing the segments together to deploy skills, knowledge and resources.

10. Berwick 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

11. NSP NCC LSP EH GONE ONE Steering Group Strategic lead Berwick Borough Council statutory role landowner Berwick Community Devt Trust Charitable status Community links Delivery Management Mechanism Delivery Mechanism Delivery Plan Leadership Physical development (Phase 2) Work with Businesses Skills IT Coms, branding and marketing Tourism

12. Market Town Distinctiveness 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

13. Main Elements • 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

14. The Mix that Creates Distinctiveness

15. Measuring Distinctiveness

16. Mapping Distinctiveness

17. Customer care

18. Key Performance Indicators

19. Plotting Distinctiveness

20. 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

21. Capacity, Capacity, Capacity

22. www.distictiveness.co.uk Thank You