I hope to see a revival of market towns as the drivers of an attractive and livable countryside. Market towns’ proximity to rural communities make them the perfect economic and social hubs for large hinterlands, and offer local services and solutions for dispersed rural populations. Goverment and regional funding needs to be re-focussed on creating sustainable market towns and moved away from the current pre-occupation with larger urban areas. Many market towns have suffered from decades of under-funding for basic infrastructure improvements because budgets are focussed on larger urban areas. To create a sustainable pattern of settlements in rural areas, these budget priorities need to be changed, and life needs to be brought back to our market towns.

Andrea Pellegram

I am lucky enough to live in a market town which has been given sufficient funding to carry out what will be a remarkable renaissance, it has been driven by a community census of enormous proportins. It sits within a district with the largest land area in the country and one of the lowest populations - we have more sheep thn people.

Community empowerment should be the cornerstone of the process of change. However I do have fears that with the transfer of additional powers to RDAs, which are afterall unelected bodies, there will arise a democratic defecit, This could mean that decision making at this crucial time , especially in the financial arena will be taken away from local people.

David Blackie

Barnard Castle, Vice Chair North East Assembly

Vision

Bring back the Countryside Agency and along with that the vital village appraisal process with staffing and funding to enable the parishes to both audit plan and review their communities, but most importantly with funding and professional support to implement the ideas and enable parishes to take ownership of social enterprise development whilst gaining vital services which enable the villages to keep the vital mix of old/young and thereby keep schools open, implementing childcare services and enabling new business opportunities.

Give Lottery grants of up to £50k as this amount employs up to 2 full time people (with oncosts)

Enable more people to live in rural areas. Encourage local trading and keep local shops, post offices and pubs open.

Lesley Kirton

SEDA Rural CIC

Access to

Jobs

Services

Leisure

Industry

Transport

Retain - Rights to Ramble

Maintain beauty

Manage Tourism

Invest Infrastructure

Future

Technology

Equal Funding

Empathy to rural ways

Energy

Preservation of good

Local housing without over developing

Assistance in coping with inward migration of older communities – outward migration of skills base.

Andy McCarter

Funding from central government direct to local authorities for rural areas (not via RDAs). Local authorities have to ring-fence the funding to which local communities can apply.

Frances Stokes

South East Rural Towns Partnership

Small local farms, producing local produce / products – non GM crops – product bio-diversity.

Small shops selling local food / products – open early morning (closed 10-4) open in early evening.

Small local community centres to nurture a sense of pride and belonging for residents.

Manditory partnerships for market towns / villages so sense of community caring is established.

Funding / taxation to establish sense of community and encourage volunteerism.

The more people are encouraged to take part in local life the less responsibility for ‘surface’ care of emotional stability of people and communities the government will have to shoulder.

In small communities offer incentives to young entrepreneurs to have core businesses e.g. shop, pub, post office, web service, community café.

Strong forums for sharing best practice like Action for Market Towns

Rosemary Smith