The Initiative, led by The Countryside Agency, is aimed at both improving and consolidating the commercial and social activity of rural market towns in England. Launched as part of a crosscutting strategy, the Initiative is aimed at addressing rural deprivation, with the decline of market towns being identified as a key contributory factor in this respect. Many market towns have experienced decline as a result of social, industrial and agricultural change and the Initiative is committed to reversing this trend.

The concept of the Market Towns Initiative is to develop local solutions to local problems, which will be achieved by setting up partnerships with representatives from the voluntary sector, service providers, schools and colleges, business groups and local government. Community participation is a key element in the Market Towns Initiative as detailed local knowledge and skills are essential in addressing highly localised issues. Also, the Initiative encourages local people to make choices about the future they want to experience, therefore having a vital role in steering the partnership towards achieving the objectives they have identified.

Which market towns are involved?

The Initiative has so far helped the three partnerships to produce strategic regeneration action plans (which can be found as downloadable files on their individual pages). The documents are vitally important to the future of the towns and their rural surroundings as they detail the broad range of projects - from built environment to transport schemes that will be developed and implemented over the next five years.

This work has led to the creation of three co-ordinator posts to help the partnerships with the delivery of their action plans over their five-year lifespan.