Celebrating the Small Rural Towns Programme (SRTP)
43 delegates from across the county gathered at Carterton Community Centre on Tuesday 17th Jan 2012 to hear about the achievements of the small rural towns programme. The programme, funded by The Regional Development Agency, SEEDA, to the tune of £700,000 attracted over double that sum from other sources enabling projects with a total value of £2.25M to go ahead over the seven years of the programme. The programme’s roll-out was managed in Oxfordshire by ORCC.
Picture copyright: www.thamenews.net
Back Row: Meryl Smith ORCC; Derrick Hoare, chairman Wallingford Partnership Ltd; Jane Barker ORCC; Helena Fickling, Thame; Alison Isherwood, SODC; Sue Scott ORCC
Front Row: Liz Stevens, ORCC; Lynda Atkins, Wallingford Partnership; Peter Wentworth aka Lord Berners of Folly Tower, Faringdon (with pink pigeon!); Valerie Carter, Former Rural Director SEEDA; Mary Stiles, 21st Century Thame, and Anne Harrison, Market Towns Programme Co-ordinator Hampshire.
Market towns that have received funding are:Carterton: For construction of Community Centre and purchase of youth centre building.
Kidlington: Extension and refurbishment of existing pavilion to create a multi use community building. Creation of walking/cycling route connecting housing with commercial centre.
Wallingford: WiFi, website, MP3 player hire for visitors, signage and lighting installation, Tourist Trail leaflets and Wall mounted banners.
Thame: Loyalty card scheme, shop fronts improvement scheme, signage improvements, Tourist Trail guides, shopping and eating guides and Blue Plaques Scheme.
Faringdon: Restoration of the iconic Folly Tower, Skatepark construction and associated bike rack, graffiti wall; communications programme including town guide design and print, cycling and walking guides and website.
Wantage/Grove: Shopfronts Improvement Scheme, restoration & lighting of King Alfred monument in marketplace and restoration of the Letcombe Brook and associated walkways supported by cycling and walking guides.
To mark the end of the programme, officially 31 March 2012, this meeting was an opportunity for participating towns to show and talk about what they had achieved, to talk about lessons learnt, compare notes and discuss future opportunities.
To view the presentations go to the following links:
Faringdon Folly Tower project - Eddie Williams
Community Interest Company - Nick Elwell
Levering in other funding in Carterton - Janet Eustace & Catherine Chater
For further information speak to Sue Scott, ORCC Market Towns Programme Co-ordinator tel: 01865 883488 or email sue.scott@oxonrcc.org.uk.
