"Hampshire Market Towns - Securing their Future"

Introduction

     

For centuries, Hampshire’s market towns have been the focus of social and commercial activity for the county’s many rural areas. Since the war, however, this function has been under constant pressure from changes in the social, agricultural and industrial fabric of the county, and today many small towns are struggling to survive and keep their identities.

The Rural White Paper in 2000 identified the need to take action to assist small rural towns in retaining and growing their function as rural service centres or ‘hubs’, and the Countryside Agency introduced the Market Towns Initiative in 2001, designed to be accessible to individuals and partnerships through access to a web-based ‘toolkit’, handbook and resource documents.

The Economic Development Office at Hampshire County Council recognised the need to join the Initiative in 2001, and the Market Towns Project began.

Hampshire Market Towns Project

The Hampshire Market Towns Project is led by the Economic Development Office at Hampshire County Council, in partnership with the South-East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and with the South-East Rural Towns Partnership (SERTP).  A full time Market Towns Co-ordinator, Anne Harrison, part-funded by SEEDA, works with small rural towns, and promotes the Market Town Healthcheck (toolkit) throughout the county, helping to deliver the new SEEDA Small Rural Towns funding programme and to create and develop networks of interested groups.  

The total programme is worth around £7 million over a 7 year period from 2004 –2011, and the EDO works with the Hampshire Economic Partnership (HEP) Rural Economy Task Force and  the Hampshire Market Town Partnership, HMTP, to deliver around £1.2 million of this funding to Hampshire to benefit some of its small rural towns, of which 32 are potentially able to apply for project funding.  Delivery schedules are submitted regularly to SEEDA, with £780K already committed to Hampshire projects, and work is ongoing in New Milton, Alton, Whitehill and Bordon, Whitchurch and Stockbridge.

The Hampshire Market Town Manager is also responsible for the supervision of one staff member, in New Milton. She is part funded by SEEDA, with HCC and New Milton Town Council also providing cash or in-kind support together with two local businesses.

In one or two other towns, town project managers / officers are supported by their town and/or district councils.

See Market Town Healthchecks and Town Plans for more details on town healthchecks and plans

Also, an up-to-date Word file on the progress of the Hampshire Market Towns project can be downloaded here  191kb

Further information can be obtained from the  local council Economic Development Offices, or from the Market Towns Officer, Anne Harrison, on 01962 846558  or  by email to  Anne Harrison

LATEST NEWS "Snow in Hythe" wins Action for Market Towns regional heats A 'project' which provided artificial blizzards in Hythe Town Centre last December has won the regional heats of the Action for Market Towns awards 2008.  Traders worked with Helen Owers, Town Project Officer for Hythe and Dibden, to provide snow on four consecutive Saturday afternoons, lending a festive feel to the streets. A rise in takings, together with a number of other benefits, persuaded judges that this project was a good model for others to follow, and could provide the basis for future events too."Snow in Hythe" now goes on to the national competition in Skipton in October.

Market Towns Networking Day 31st March 2008 -

Presentations available to download here:

John Tweddell - EFF: What we have learnt (Emsworth Food Festival)

Sarah Davis - Supporting Rural Towns (Tourism South East)

James Turner - An Introduction to Hidden Britain

If you are unable to download these presentations and would like copies please contact anne.harrison@hants.gov.uk or call 01962 846558