Market Towns
'Market towns play a critical role in helping rural communities
to thrive’- a quote from the Rural White Paper in 2000 which
identified market towns as a focus for growth in rural areas.
As a result of that White Paper, 17 towns in the Northwest were
identified to undertake a ‘healthcheck’, funded by the NWDA and the
Countryside Agency.
Community partnerships were formed, where they did not already
exist. These partnerships, together with co-ordinators or
consultants, undertook the healthcheck, producing Action Plans
based on the needs of the towns and their hinterlands.
The Action Plans are very comprehensive with a wide variety of
identified needs, including transport, economic, environmental and
social and community issues.
Already, the community partnerships have achieved considerable
successes in working for their communities, from notice boards and
lottery funding, to funding for economic regeneration. For examples
of best practice from across the Northwest, please see the Market
Towns Guide.
Evaluation
of the Market Towns Initiative in the Northwest of England Jan
08