Examples of recent projects - South Somerset District Council

Sout h Som e r se t
Mar ke t Tow n s In v e st m e n t Gr oup
Projects that the Market Towns Investment Group supported since 2006 are shown
below. The themes coming out of the Market Town Community Plans have been
predominately Tourism, Economic Development and Community Safety, which have
been reflected in the projects chosen.
Interpretation Boards (2006 - 2008)
This was the first collaborative project completed by the Market Towns Investment
Group. Forty-two interpretation boards have been put in place at Chard, Crewkerne,
Ilminster, South Petherton, Ilchester, Martock, Somerton, Langport, Castle Cary,
Bruton and Wincanton. The boards include a map of the whereabouts of the local
services, from post offices to local walks, places of historical interest and museums,
along with defining facts and photographs of the towns. The boards are unique to
each town, flagging up the quirky sites and popular attractions of the area, like old
coaching houses, wineries and lace mills.
Ilminster
Wincanton
Castle Cary artwork
Deployable CCTV Camera Protocol (2006 - 2011)
This partnership project with Avon and Somerset Police had the overall aim of
enhancing the existing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and monitoring arrangements
within the market towns outside of Yeovil in South Somerset. The Funding and
Management Protocol was developed to demonstrate a better, more cost effective
alternative to fixed cameras in every town. The Market Towns Investment Group
purchased CCTV Cameras and Avon and Somerset Police financed their deployment
costs. Avon and Somerset Police chose locations for the four deployable CCTV
cameras and how they will be monitored.
The state-of-the-art devices are placed at locations in and around Bruton, Castle Cary,
Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Langport, Martock, Somerton, South Petherton and
Wincanton as part of a crime reduction scheme.
A hotspot location often changes and in a large area such as South Somerset the
ability to put moveable cameras in problem areas provides the police with an
invaluable tool to prevent and detect crime. Consultation by beat teams with
community groups and other agencies can be used to decide locations for each of the
cameras which will ensure they are put up in key areas. Officers will then be able to
access the images at any time, 24 hours a day, to identify offenders.
Radiolink Schemes (2007 - 2009)
The Market Towns Investment Group in partnership with Avon and Somerset Police
and the Yeovil Business Crime Reduction Team developed ‘pilot’ Radiolink schemes
in Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster to help reduce antisocial behaviour in the towns.
The basic principle involved in a scheme is for Owners/Managers of local businesses
to agree to act together to deter those individuals who cause or threaten damage,
disorder, violence, commit theft, use or deal in drugs in their premises. Each member
of the scheme rents a radio that enables them to communicate with each other and to
warn of antisocial behaviour or persistent offenders in their area. Police and Police
Community Support Officer’s also carry radios whilst on duty in the town. From the
‘pilot’ it was learned that although there were some successes, they were not sufficient
to roll out this scheme further. The Radiolink scheme at Chard is still active.
Priority Projects 1 (2006 - 2012)
To ensure the individual needs of the market towns were addressed, a priority project
funding programme was created for the market town representatives to bid for up to
£10,000 for projects that were a priority for their market town. The majority of the
applications received were highways related and this resulted in the creation of a
delivery partnership between the Market Towns Investment Group and Somerset
County Council Highways. At last, this allowed a number of long-standing project
ideas to be properly assessed to see if they were feasible. A number were not and
these are not listed. The projects completed are listed below:
Bruton
Castle Cary
Chard
Crewkerne
Ilminster
Langport
Martock
Somerton
South Petherton
Wincanton
- 20mph zone area/traffic calming scheme
- Equipment for the Market House, Children’s area slide
- Street furniture and lighting enhancement
- Declutter Street Furniture Scheme
- Repair and renovation of the Market House
- Fingerposts, benches and picnic tables at Cocklemoor
- Traditional Lighting scheme
- Flagstones at Market Place
- Mobile floodlights and bus shelter
- Moor Lane Pedestrian/Cycle Way
Chard – Street Furniture enhancement
Crewkerne – Declutter street furniture scheme – removal of obsolete signs and litter
bins
Langport – Fingerposts and picnic tables at Cocklemoor
Martock – Traditional lighting scheme
Somerton – Flagstones at Market Place
Visitor Audit and Priority Projects 2 (2008 - 2011)
This project provided an opportunity for Market Town representatives to work
collaboratively to assess the quality of their visitor offer. Each town was assessed by
a group of volunteers from the other market towns on the basis of pre-determined
questions and an evaluative report was compiled for each town after the visit. A
consultant who analysed the results and created an action plan of improvements
produced the final report. From the results of the Visitor Audit the Market Town
representatives were asked to work up tourism projects, which were of benefit to their
market town in order to bid for funding from the Market Towns Investment Group. The
projects that are being funded are listed below:
Bruton
Castle Cary
Crewkerne
Langport
Martock
Somerton
South Petherton
Resurfacing of pavements in the High Street
Additional signage on the main roads leading to Castle Cary
New fingerpost with fingers plus additional fingers for existing
fingerpost
Signage to and from Castle Cary Station
Park benches for strategic positions in the town
Town Map and plan showing businesses in Crewkerne with
updatable information and installation of the board
A strong pedestrian linkage between Falkland Square and the
George Precinct in Crewkerne
Sun tube lighting in each of the three areas in the public toilets
3 x 4 armed hanging basket columns with hanging baskets to
be erected in the Town Square in Langport
Signage to key facilities and attractions
Signage to indicate Tourism Office
Planters in the car park
A vandal proof bench
Improve the appearance of a roundabout at Lopen Head
Footpath improvements within the parish
Bruton – Resurfacing of pavements
Castle Cary – New fingerpost
Crewkerne – Shoppers board and Pedestrian enhancement scheme between
Falkland Square and George Precinct
Langport – Hanging basket columns with hanging baskets
Martock – New fingerposts
Somerton – Planters and Tourist Information Sign
South Petherton – Improvements to roundabout at Lopen
Priority Projects 3 (2012 - 2015)
This project programme provides another opportunity for the market town
representatives to look at the priorities that are needed in their towns. Brief details of
the projects that were being funded are listed below:
Bruton
Castle Cary
Crewkerne
Langport
Martock
South Petherton
Bruton Digital Archive
The Bruton Heritage Project aims to develop a digital archive
of the economic and social history of Bruton including
collected reminiscences from older Bruton residents.
Market House improvements.
Sensory Garden relocation to the entrance to South Street Car
Park to improve the area by means of an enhanced
landscaping design, circular bench, new picnic tables and
benches, Welcome to Henhayes signage, a path around the
recreation ground and additional landscaping and trees.
Replacement of and improvements to the Gateway signage at
the 3 main entrances of Langport.
Safety, security and aesthetic appeal of the main shopping
centre and car parking area improvements
Planters to create a floral display entrance to the Car Park.
Castle Cary – Market House improvements to the entrance area to make access
easier and provide a single entrance point for all uses and the provision of an easy
access ground floor toilet.
Langport Gateway signage
Martock - Safety, security and aesthetic appeal of the main shopping centre and car
parking area improvements
South Somerset Market Towns App (2013)
The South Somerset Market Towns App was an idea developed by the Market Towns
Investment Group and commissioned by SSDC. The idea was to create a guide for
both locals and visitors that could be updated easily in real time, and accessed on the
move via smartphone or tablet.
Town Councils opted in to be a part of the project and a total of nine market towns are
now featured on the App as a result. The Market Towns Investment Group help
Market Towns to work together to build better communities, the App project emulates
this very ethos. With nine towns working together to promote themselves via an App,
something that would not be possible to do alone. Since the release in July 2013 this
community led project has had volunteers in each town working to keep all of the
information up to date.
Portas Programme (2013 - 2015)
In 2011 the Government asked Mary Portas to complete an independent review into
the future of our High Streets. The Government’s High Street Innovation Fund
allowed the Market Towns Investment Group to run a ‘Portas’ Programme to support
projects aimed at increasing footfall in the Market Towns High Streets.
Bruton
Castle Cary
Chard
Crewkerne
Ilminster
Langport
Martock
Somerton
Wincanton
Riverside Walk
Milbrook Gardens Car Park extension
Chard Business Start Up (Empty Shop)
Town Centre Tree Replacement
Theatre in Shops
To improve the Wednesday Market
Town Centre improvements
Langport Market Development
Precinct Improvement Project
Town Centre Car Park improvements
Wincanton Transport Hub
Castle Cary - Before and after pictures of Milbrook Gardens Car Park.
Chard – Town Centre Tree replacement
Chard – Chard Business Start Up
Crewkerne – Theatre in Shops
Langport – Market Development
Somerton – Town Centre improvements
For more information about these Market Towns Investment Group projects please
contact either:
Andrew Gillespie, Area Development Manager – West
[email protected] or
Nicola Doble, Area Development – West
[email protected] .