SRB ROUND 6
FINAL BID FOR
RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AREA PARTNERSHIP
Presented by West Lindsey District Council
1.
Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Bid
1.2 The Expression of Interest for this bid was approved under the name of the Town 2 Town Partnership, covering the towns of Gainsborough and Market Rasen and their hinterland along the A631.
1.3 Following further evaluation of the impact of the bid and its beneficial outcomes the bid and related expenditure has been focused on the town of Market Rasen, and its hinterland. Single Regeneration Challenge Funds will .be exclusively targeted towards the physical and social regeneration of the town to create a sustainable and thriving community. This will be achieved through the development and realisation of Market Rasen’s latent potential as a visitor gateway to the Wolds AONB and by building on the established but under-exploited number of day visitors related to the successful Market Rasen Race Course and east coast holiday traffic
1.3 By implementing a combination of capital works, environmental enhancements, development of the tourist product, visitor services, grants, community support measures and rural transport initiatives Market Rasen will increase its footfall with a resultant benefit to town centre retail and service businesses in addition to the wider business community and local residents. The effect of this activity will be an improved community and business confidence, realised through increased employment opportunities for the residents of Market Rasen and its surrounding villages.
1.4 The project will implement Phase 1 of West Lindsey’s Family Learning Network which is designed to meet local learning needs and ensure value for money through co-ordinated funding and service delivery. Within this programme national, regional and local strategic targets will be contributed to by Family Learning Centres, Pre-Sixteen Enrichment, Capacity Building for Lifelong Learning and the provision of Alternative Access to Learning programmes. These life long learning activities will be further supported by the provision of training targeted at tourist and service businesses to improve the experience of both visitors and residents when using local facilities. Overall these initiatives will contribute to the learning capacity of the local community and assist in the important transition from agricultural related employment with its inherent problems of structural decline, low wages and seasonality.
1.5 Needs and Issues
1.6 . The town is on the A631, the main route from the Midlands to Lincolnshire’s East Coast holiday resorts that have benefited considerably from recent private and public sector investment. Market Rasen Race Course, recently ranked 3rd best course by the Times is also situated to the east of the Town increasing this potential visitor flow. The town has no provision however for coach parking or drop-off points. These facilities are currently provided by lay-by type provision in woodland some distance to the east of the Town. The provision of coach parking and toilet facilities will encourage passing trade to spend time in the town thereby increasing footfall and retail / service business activity.
1.7 The rural economy is declining due to the down turn in the agricultural industry that has led to a consequent reduction in the town’s traditional agriculture based business activity. Three local businesses have gone in recent years including the town’s second largest employer. Retail and service sector trade has also been affected by the growth in out of town shopping, particularly on the Lincoln fringes and a lack of effective public transport to bring people from Market Rasen’s agricultural hinterland into the town.
1.8 The needs of the area are further evidenced by designation as a Rural Priority Area within the DTI Enterprise Area of West Lindsey and its designation an ERDF Objective 2 Area.
1.9
Market Rasen is a small market town with a population of 4,200
and a hinterland containing an additional population of some 2,167 mainly
residing in small isolated villages.
1.10 The specific needs and issues that are to be addressed by the bid are:-
¨ Refurbishment of shop/business premises and the occupation of empty premises in the town centre
¨ The enhancement of the High Street and the approach roads to the town to continue the Georgian theme set by the environmental enhancements of the Market Square. This will replace the current neglected appearance of the town making it a more attractive place for visitors and residents alike.
¨ Buildings in the town detract from the town’s appearance and, by use of grant aid to the owners, this will also be addressed by the proposals.
¨ Although train and rail services in the town connect with the East Coast and Lincoln only two scheduled services connect the rural hinterland with the town. This has left the villages isolated both from Market Rasen and Lincoln. This sense of isolation has led to a heightened fear of crime evidenced by the increase in calls to the Police complaining of anti-social behaviour. These calls for assistance are primarily from members of the community (frequently female) who are at home without access to a car or public transport.
¨
The lack a visitor facilities, information and
interpretation along with inadequate coach stop-off facilities
1.11 Partners -The Partners in the Bid are :-
¨ West Lindsey District Council (Accountable Body)
¨ Lincolnshire County Council
¨ Lincolnshire Police Authority
¨ North Lincs. College
¨ Lincolnshire Area Health Authority
¨ Market Rasen Development Trust
¨ Community Council for Lincolnshire
2.
Strategic Objectives, Activities
& Outcomes
The outcomes described in
table one of this bid will be achieved as follows:
2.1
West Lindsey Family
Learning Network is a flexible multi-agency approach to the learning
requirements of families. This project
aims to achieve strategic objective 1, to enhance the employment prospects,
education and skills of local people.
The project will be managed by Lincolnshire County Council Education and
Cultural Directorate and North Lincolnshire College. During the 5 year SRB
period the project will be divided into two phases: after an initial period of
three years, the project will be evaluated before progressing onto the second
stage.
2.2 The Family Learning Network will focus on: family learning, pre 16 enrichment, building capacity for lifelong learning and providing alternative access to learners. In targeting those individuals who are less likely to pursue learning opportunities, the project aims to increase the participation of non learners, use parental support to raise the expectations and life chances of children and support schools in raising standards. The objectives include: establishing a network of family learning centres tailored to local needs, raising standards in numeracy and literacy and ICT, promoting a learning culture, supporting and accrediting adults’ first steps back into learning, providing increased access to learning opportunities, encouraging adults to return to education, engaging with excluded parents to encourage them back to learning, increasing life chances for pupils and employability for adults, promoting effective parenting, encouraging professional development and improved understanding of how we learn and ensuring an adequate pool of community education tutors.
2.3 It is anticipated that the following outcomes will be achieved by the end of phase one progression routes for learners, improved childcare for adult learners, capacity building initiatives to increase the pool of tutors and additional learning opportunities for statutory age pupils at risk of underachieving, alternative curriculum development and delivery which offers information, advice and guidance to learners, skills training and the professional development for tutors/teachers
2.4
Public transport
provision in the area is poor at present.
The improvement of local transport services will be improved by a scheme
entitled Transport Solutions.
Lincolnshire County Council will monitor the scheme. Transport to be provided in the bid area includes
better use of an existing community vehicle, financial assistance for existing
rural services and the introduction of new journey opportunities into Market
Rasen and its surrounding hinterland.
The community vehicle would provide a flexible, door to door interchange
point service. In order to ensure
optimum use of existing facilities, it
is anticipated that the Brookenby community coach and the Rural Youth Project
(De Aston) community coach will also be utilised.
2.5 The overall objective of this scheme is to provide effective public transport for those living within or travelling to the bid area. This scheme meets strategic objectives 1, 2 and 3. It will achieve increased mobility and therefore enhance employment prospects and skills, address social exclusion and help provide and promote sustainable regeneration and infrastructure. Part of the scheme aims to provide a link between Market Rasen racecourse and the town centre, thus increasing tourist and economic activity within the town centre area. Improvements to transport infrastructure features such as shelters, timetables, stop flags and kerbing will benefit existing users of local bus services and attract new users. Cycle bars will be incorporated in bus shelters in the bid area to provide a bike and ride facility.
2.6 Accessibility is key to most of the other projects within the SRB bid. The Transport Solutions scheme will provide the vital year round link into rural areas to allow greater mobility and freedom of travel for residents and visitors. It is anticipated that this project will allow greater freedom to travel thereby opening up new opportunities for employment and greatly improve access to health, shopping and leisure activities for more independent living.
2.7 Market Rasen Development Trust has several projects, which are contained within the SRB 6 bid. A coach comfort stop for Market Rasen is proposed. Market Rasen Development Trust intends to refurbish the High Street area of the town. This will improve trade and tourism, specifically through the signing element of the scheme. Both of these schemes will achieve strategic objectives 3 and 4.
2.8 Market Rasen Development Trust also intends to physically improve the key routes into the town. This will be done with environmental enhancements such as soft landscaping. The aim of the improvements is to make the town look more cared for. Improvements to the Racecourse area of the town are prioritised, as this is a major visitor attraction. This scheme will achieve strategic objective 3.
2.9 Market Rasen Town Council aims to improve the social well being of people via The Mill and River Rase Project. The Church Mill is a prominent listed building and the river area is in need of environmental improvement works. The outcomes of the work include short-term job creation, the development of a visitor attraction and the involvement of volunteers. It will also provide opportunities for rest and relaxation for a broad sector of the community. The scheme will achieve strategic outcome 3.
2.10 Market Rasen Development Trust is supporting Lincolnshire Police and West Lindsey Crime and Disorder Partnership in their aim to tackle crime and drugs abuse and improve community safety (strategic objective 5). This will be achieved by using a mobile CCTV system, which will provide both the potential for local monitoring as well as video recordings for the police when any crime is committed. The project will make a significant contribution to the actual and perceived safety of the Town Centre particularly at the evenings and weekends.
2.11
West Lindsey District
Council will manage an Environmental Enhancement Scheme, which will improve
tourist and economic activity in the Market Rasen area. This will be achieved via a business
development grant scheme. Environmental
enhancements will encourage an increase in business activity which will also
attract more spend in the area, boosting the local economy. Enhancements to vacant properties will have
a beneficial impact on the streetscape and will contribute increased employment
opportunities for local people. The
Environmental Enhancement Scheme will achieve strategic outcome 3, the
promotion of sustainable regeneration, improvement and protection of the
environment and infrastructure, including housing. In addition, West Lindsey
District Council will introduce a Business Development Grant for the tourism
sector, which will facilitate access to training courses etc.
2.12 The Substance Misuse Counselling Service project will respond to locally identified needs on substance misuse, improve service accessibility and client rehabilitation, provide education, reduce social exclusion, lead to health improvement of target group and increase employability of target group. The project will be managed by Lincolnshire’s Drug Action Team, West Lindsey Crime and Disorder Partnership via West Lindsey Drugs Group (partnership of WLDC, Police, Health Authority, Local Primary Care Group, Social Services, Education and community representatives). In order to achieve the desired outputs, it is anticipated that the duration of the project will be three years. Employing one full-time substance misuse counsellor, the project will target the over 25 age group. Working within a multi-agency setting, it will provide two tier services focussing on advice, education and advocacy.
2.13 Its aims are to foster change, to enable drug and alcohol dependent adults to manage/abstain from substances via client centred interaction, to encourage a harm minimisation approach to care, to enable individuals to focus on issues and set their own goals, to help clients move through the cycle of change, to prevent relapse and to deal with relapses as and when they occur and to develop coping responses
2.14
The desired outcome of the project will be to reduce
levels of substance misuse in the target group, and increase their social
inclusion, rehabilitation, education and economic viability. As a result this will contribute to the
reduction of drugs related crime and disorder offences.
2.15 The projects detailed above will both achieve the five strategic objectives required for the SRB bid and ensure that the outcomes listed in table one are achieved
3 –
Targeting and Community Participation
3.1 The target area for this bid is Market Rasen and its hinterland. For the purpose of the bid this is defined as the Market Rasen and Middle Rasen electoral wards. A map showing the Rural Tourism Development Area can be seen further on in this section
3.2 The total population for the Rural Tourism Development Area is 6367. The area is rural and somewhat isolated due to poor public transport provision. The Market Rasen ward has an unemployment rate of 3.8%. This is higher than the rate for West Lindsey, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. At 19%, Market Rasen also has a higher long-term unemployment rate than Lincolnshire. By increasing local transportation and educational opportunities the bid aims to lower these rates.
3.3 From baseline information it is the case that companies in the West Lindsey area, which encompasses the Rural Tourism Development Area, find it hard to fill vacancies. 47% of companies within West Lindsey conceded that they had experienced this problem. For Lincolnshire, the figure was 44%. An employer’s survey has shown that 59% of employers feel that West Lindsey employees need to increase their skills, this compares with 54% for Lincolnshire. The amount of hard to fill vacancies will be eased by an increase in adult skills. At present West Lindsey has a workforce which contains 33% qualified to NVQ 3 and 20% to NVQ 4. The figures for Lincolnshire are 38% and 22% respectively. The bid aims to redress this imbalance.
3.4 A major aim of the bid is to increase the vitality of the town centre area of Market Rasen. Baseline information shows that a significant proportion of West Lindsey residents shop outside of the District. Increasing footfall and visitor numbers within the town of Market Rasen will boost the local economy and encourage more residents to shop within their town and district.
3.5 As previously mentioned, transport provision is a major part of this bid. West Lindsey has a higher proportion of retired individuals than Lincolnshire as a whole: 13.1% compared to 10.4%. As the population of West Lindsey is estimated to increase by 12.7% between 1996 and 2011 (3.2% less than Lincolnshire’s estimate), this section of the population will increase. It can be presumed that this will strengthen the need for better rural transport provision, an area this bid aims to address.
3.6 The crime and drug abuse element of the bid for the Rural Tourism Development Area aims to combat statistics which show that recorded crime, criminal damage and drugs offences are increasing by an average of 52% (1999/2000). Substance misuse is an area, which will be prioritised through the employment of a whole time substance misuse counsellor for a Market Rasen based service. In 1998/99, 53% referrals to the Lincoln Clinic were related to substance misuse.
3.7
In response to local
economic and social deprivation, a number of strong partnerships have been
developed to address localised needs across the bid area. The development and consultation process
that has underpinned this bid has been instrumental in focusing the efforts of
disparate interest groups in the Market Rasen area. This has resulted in the successful formation of the Market Rasen
Development Trust. Key partners in the
bid are devoting resources, particularly over the next 18 months, to the
development of an inclusive partnership structure and capacity building
measures to ensure that local communities are involved in local projects. West Lindsey District Council, as an
Accountable Body, is a Best Value Authority and will be keen to ensure that
Best Value principles apply throughout the lifetime of the bid.
4.Linkages and
Funding
