The target area involves South Somerset�s 10 Market Towns and

							                               South Somerset Market
                               Towns Investment Group


Background

The South Somerset Market Towns Investment Group was established in June 2006
as a key element of the South Somerset Market Towns Vision (Appendix A). MTIG
is an important new partnership created to encourage better, more constructive
community planning arrangements between partners at all levels and to bring forward
more effective investment decisions in our market towns and the rural areas they
serve.

South Somerset District Council invited Town Councils to nominate two
representatives, suggesting that at least one should be a serving Council member and
the other from their local regeneration forum.

The first meeting of the Market Towns Investment Group was held in June 2006,
chaired by the SSDC Portfolio holder for Market Towns Councillor George Chinnock.
From May 2007 Councillor Kim Turner took on the portfolio and has chaired MTIG.

MTIG brings together 10 adjoining rural areas all with community-led, “bottom-up”
community plans and community planning arrangements. The Ten Market Town Areas
represented are Bruton, Castle Cary & Ansford, Wincanton, Chard, Crewkerne,
Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, Martock and Langport & Huish Episcopi.
Somerset County Council and the Somerset Market Towns Forum are also
represented on the group.

The role of the Market Towns Investment Group

The agreed purpose of the group is to recommend programmes for investment in
Market Town areas where working together would be better than working alone. This
might be because undertaking a number of projects would be more economical, or
because together we can create a critical mass that would make a scheme viable. The
Market Towns Vision builds on the MCTi approach.

Working together means that it becomes more feasible to deal with common issues
that would otherwise not be addressed.

Each Market Town Area has a named SSDC Officer appointed as a Coordinator. It is
their role to act as a bridge builder between the local community planning groups and
MTIG by providing advice and support to Town representatives about the development
and delivery of community plan proposals. These proposals may come from a number
of agencies as well as from the local Community Plan (Appendix B)

The “Market Town Coordinator” officers are already involved in supporting the
community led planning process at the local level and have a good knowledge of what
each plan is trying to achieve.
As the work of the Market Towns Investment Group increased, SSDC also appointed a
Market Towns Vision Support Officer to provide co-ordination to the Market Towns
Investment Group and help to deliver the key elements of the Market Town Vision.

Funding for Investment

All known community plan proposals were added to a shared database. Through this it
was established that the estimated cost of all proposals in each Market Town
Community Plan is around £2 million and not all areas that need investment are
covered in all community plans.

It is well understood that the resources needed to fulfil the ambitions and aspirations
we have for the future of our Market Towns are substantial, and will need to be met
from a number of sources. MTIG provides an innovative means of capturing the
significant levels of funding required to meet well founded community aspirations
efficiently and effectively.

In 2006, SSDC made an initial capital budget of £300,000 available to the Market
Towns Investment Group, allowing some themes to be explored and programmes for
investment to be delivered

Deciding Common Themes for Investment

Through a joint exercise, the members of MTIG carefully considered the themes from
their published and draft community plans for Market Towns.

A clear common interest in projects that promote tourism, the local built environment,
community safety and the local economy was identified and funding was allocated to
the development of;

       Enhancement of CCTV
       The Creation Of Improved Signage through Information Boards Or ‘Gateway’
        Public Art.
       Encouraging joint and priority schemes

Developing Investment Programmes

The allocation of funding has allowed MTIG to develop investment programmes around
themes drawn from local community plans. These are described in the attached annual
delivery plans (Appendix C).

All programmes are created to get things done that improve the quality of life in our
Market Towns. As everyone involved in community planning knows, access to funding
is rarely enough. There are other challenges to be met before many schemes and
projects can happen. MTIG has also been responsible for commissioning research
and the establishment of management and process protocols that help overcome long
standing barriers to projects being carried out.

Exploring Future Themes

The South Somerset Market Towns Investment Group has already shown that it can
develop innovative and effective ways to meet community aspirations and so improve
our Market Towns. The development of further ways to do this through enhanced
collaboration rely on the correct identification of potential projects through local
community planning arrangements. As MTIG identifies these, the programmes will
appear in the attached annual delivery plan.

Appendices:

Appendix A: Website link to the Market Town Vision document
http://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/media/pdf/6/i/Market_Town_Vision_Final_Draft_Rep
ort.pdf

Appendix B: The Market Town Co-ordinators and the towns they support are listed
below:

Market Town Co-ordinator     Email address                            Towns
Mike Allen                   mike.allen@southsomerset.gov.uk          Bruton
Tim Cook                     tim.cook@southsomerset.gov.uk            Castle Cary & Ansford
Pam Williams                 pam.williams@southsomerset.gov.uk        Wincanton
Claire Littlejohn            claire.littlejohn@southsomerset.gov.uk   Chard
Zoë Harris                   zoe.harris@southsomerset.gov.uk          Crewkerne and Ilminster
Teresa Oulds and Pauline     teresa.oulds@southsomerset.gov.uk        Langport & Huish,
Burr                         pauline.burr@southsomerset.gov.uk        Martock, Somerton and
                                                                      South Petherton

Market Towns Vision Support Officer

Nicola Doble                 nicola.doble@southsomerset.gov.uk




                                                                      ND/AG/05/02/09