Whitchurch Town and Parish Plan

Area of Development : Economic Investment and Opportunity

Issue 2: Business and Jobs

Objective

Actions

Success criteria and timescale

Progress

Date

2A

To ensure that new businesses are attracted to the Town and existing businesses continue to thrive.

2.1

Town Council and Shropshire Council to work with partners to attract new businesses who will offer full time employment to the Town.

 New businesses offering full time employment locate in the Town.  [M]

a] All key data relevant to business and job creation in Whitchurch has been collated and is in use by the Town Council and other relevant local bodies. [S/M]

b] Factors giving Town competitive advantage in attracting major employers and new small businesses identified and used in marketing plan. [S*]

c] Town Council actively involved in all business development   discussion and decision making forums. [S/M/L]

SC progressing jobs via LDF.  Sites identified but not yet agreed or discussed locally.

Range of employment to be considered as urgent.

Nov 2011

2.2

Support improvements to business infrastructure including supply of electricity to industrial units and faster broadband and increasing the provision of serviced land.             

Whitchurch has become a high quality location for business development. [M]

a] Electricity supply has been upgraded for industrial, business and domestic use. [S*]

b] Companies and residents can access superfast broadband. [S*]

c] There is sufficient serviced land to meet business expansion needs. [S/M/L]

a] Being progressed via Local Enterprise Partnership [LEP] [Hereford, Shrops, Worcs, Telford & Wrekin]. Promise of capital been made.

b] BT has announced Whitchurch to get faster broadband

Nov 2011

Sep 2011

2.3

Develop a business park with professional employment to enable young people to stay in the area after further/higher education.        

A business park has been established. [M/L]

a] High tech, high spec businesses provide new jobs. [M/L] b] Young people with higher level qualifications have opportunity to remain, return or relocate to Whitchurch.[ M/L]

2.4

Press for continuation of support for business start ups from the Shropshire Enterprise Fund and its successor.

Support for business start ups remains available. [S]

2A cont’d

To ensure that new businesses are attracted to the Town and existing businesses continue to thrive

2.5

Audit the potential work spaces in the town suitable for the development of small businesses.

Comprehensive and current information on potential workspaces for small businesses in the Town always available. [S]

2.6

Use the audit information to establish the use of the spaces identified including provision for young people. 

Available work spaces are occupied including by young people. [S/M]

Proposal made to MTRP to provide starter offices for young people above Heritage Centre

Aug 2011.

2.7

Further encourage links between Sir John Talbot’s Technology College and existing and potential high technology businesses.

Links between school and business well established. [S/M]

2B

To ensure that the Town is able to offer a successful and vibrant retail experience to meet the needs of residents and attract visitors.

2.8

Development of a Town Centre Retail Experience Strategy includingsupporting shops in order to maximise their sales and attract the more affluent shopper while still providing for those on more limited budgets.

Retail businesses are thriving. [M]

a] Successful retail practices have been identified. [S]

b] Town Centre Retail experience strategy in place and implemented. [S/M]

c] High levels of customer loyalty in evidence. [M/L]

2.9

Explore sources of funding to support a Town Centre Property Improvement Scheme.

Town Centre properties have been improved. [S/M]

Funding in place for Town centre property scheme. [S]

2.10

Set up imaginative schemes to use empty properties until they can be filled by traders.

Empty properties visually more attractive. [S*]

Scheme to put artwork in empty shops being worked on by Nicki Young and SJT.

Some vacant shops now have artwork

Former Aletheia shop being used for WTPP publicity

Aug 2011

Nov 2011

Oct 2011

2.11

Explore successful initiatives for regeneration in other market towns across the country as a basis for future planning.

Strategies used in other market towns successfully applied in regeneration of Whitchurch. [S]

2C

To further develop and regenerate the Town as a vibrant tourist destination.

2.12

Identify and agree a Unique Selling Point for Whitchurch to be used in the development of a strategy to promote and coordinate tourism to the Town and North Shropshire.

 More tourists are visiting Whitchurch and North Shropshire. [M]

a] Unique selling point for Whitchurch identified, agreed and promoted. [S*]

b] Whitchurch has benefitted from working in partnership with other North Shropshire market towns. [M/L]

2.13

Development of an arts, media and information and communication technology [ICT] strategy to create jobs and regenerate the town.

Increased development of arts, media and ICT has led to increased numbers of jobs and visitor attractions. [M/L]

 2.14

Encourage the development of a thriving night time and weekend economy.

Whitchurch has a thriving night time and weekend economy. [M]