Whole Town Strategy
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What have we discovered about this theme? |
General Findings
Small towns in Europe should preferably take a co-ordinated, not piecemeal, approach through the use of a WTS, so that all pieces of the jigsaw fit in to a coherent vision or direction.
A Whole Town Strategy (WTS) for a town must be tailored to suit and local circumstances will dictate the weighting a town gives to the component issues. The SusSET component themes are not to be seen as a compulsory list, but rather as a checklist to stimulate reflection and be adapted to individual needs. That said, an appropriate mix of all themes is expected to build a solid ground for sustaining small towns’ growth and development process.
While Rural service towns may concentrate upon components such as networks and connections, jobs and employment, community well-being and community facilities; coastal towns upon tourism, marketing and promotion; and natural heritage and towns close to cities upon identity and culture, housing, and transport, these are not exclusive interests. The SusSET partners conclude that, to a greater or lesser extent, all towns will have some interest in al of these elements and most small towns will have common interests - especially in partnership and governance, community dialogue, town centre management and long term planning.
It is the SusSET partners’ experience that a stable political environment assists the delivery of a vision (see ‘Long Term Planning’ component). Some towns also find that a dedicated resource, such as a ‘Town or Partnership Co-ordinator’ can be beneficial in driving forward a WTS (see ‘Partnership/Local Governance’ and ‘Town Centre Management’ component).
Essential Aspects
Action without vision is just effort. Vision without action is just a dream. The framework model should therefore link the present situation of towns with their future one, and also provide a route for delivery.
In order to compile a robust ‘Whole Town Strategy’, all critical aspects of sustainable development must be examined – i.e. social, economic, and environmental.
It is important that sustainable small towns have an adequate mix and range of activities and facilities such as a diverse provision jobs, housing, learning opportunities, culture, transport, recreation, and meeting spaces.
Significant community and political involvement is required in preparing a vision for a sustainable small town (see ‘Community Dialogue and Engagement’ component) and certain key questions must be asked:
- ‘Where are we now?’ – this question requires those involved to establish a ‘baseline position’. Techniques for assessing this include checklists, statistical research, baseline studies, ‘state of health’ checks, SWOT analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats- and/or PEST analysis - Political, Economic, Social, Technological. (See SusSET website for examples of partners’ respective ‘Position Statements’).
- ‘Where do we want to be?’ – this question requires those involved to create an agreed vision for the future. This vision should be long term, meet the needs and desires of the whole community, and also fit with regional, national and international concerns (see ‘Long Term Planning’ and ‘Equal Opportunities and Inclusion’ components). It should also be the opportunity to reassert or re-establish the primary role(s) of a town (see ‘Identity and Culture’, ‘Jobs and Employment’, and ‘Housing’ components). Visions can be created by either ‘top down, ‘bottom up’ or ‘by consensus’ (see ‘Partnership/Local Governance’ component) but require visionary leadership
- ‘What can we do to achieve our vision?’ – this question requires those involved to identify targets and actions that can realise the vision. This is an opportunity for creative, innovative and ‘joined-up’ thinking and a chance to co-ordinate solutions to difficult issues (see ‘Town Centre Management’ and ‘Partnership/Local Governance’ components).
- ‘How do we get there?’ – this question requires those involved to consider the production of an Action Plan. Although visions are long term, actions must be much more immediate, i.e. one to three years. ‘Quick wins’ are essential to gain momentum, motivation and credibility. In order to ensure focussed effort, other actions must be carefully prioritised against agreed criteria (such as ‘impact’; ‘value for money’; ‘deliverability’; ‘community support’; ‘evidence of need’; ‘clear outputs’; ‘availability of resources’). Actions should SMART – i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timetabled – and should be prioritised using consensual processes that encourage bold decision- making (see ‘Community Dialogue and Engagement’ component). SMART actions will have their public, private and volunteer partner roles and responsibilities well defined to ensure delivery. SMART actions are also costed and resources identified. Some actions will not require new funding. They can either be achieved by refocusing people’s efforts, including volunteers, or by redirecting existing budgets. Other actions will need special funding and this may require special effort to secure. With a strong case evidenced through a clear vision and a SMART action plan, public money can be secured from local, regional and/or national government agencies. Where applicable, National Lottery funds can be a useful source to support small town activity, as can private money from Trusts, businesses, and individual benefactors. EU Structural Funds can support towns in eligible areas and the INTERREG programme provides a mechanism for international co-operation. Some towns, however, may require special delivery mechanisms such as development companies, development trusts, or formal Town Partnerships (see ‘Partnership/Local Governance’ component).
- ‘How will we know we have got there?’ - this question requires those involved to think about how a strategy will be monitored, reviewed and evaluated. It will necessitate tracking the ‘distance’ between the baseline study and the vision (see above). This objective can be pursued either by setting key milestones, marking off checklists or by monitoring statistical and qualitative indicators. Those people involved in the strategy should conduct regular monitoring work and also do reviews and evaluations, but often a 5-year ‘external review’ can be beneficial where a truly objective analysis is needed. Ask your residents their views about progress.
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