News & Events

Somerset Market Towns learn how to work with local businesses to revitalise their communities

Towns from across Somerset came together in Axbridge last week to hear how businesses can successfully be involved in revitalising places, which benefits both the local community and local businesses.

Axbridge Town Council hosted the latest Network Event of Somerset Market Towns Forum on October 2nd, which focussed on how to involve local businesses in ‘regeneration’.

Guided tour of axbridge
Barry Hamblin from Axbridge Town Council leads SMTF members on a guided tour 

After a guided tour of key local businesses and recent developments, some of which were identified in Axbridge’s recent Parish Plan, members of the Forum heard presentations from three Chambers of Commerce.

Axbridge, Burnham-on-Sea and Shepton Mallet Chambers explained their initiatives, including how they revived their Chamber into a thriving organisation in Burnham’s case, and how they were connected to community-based regeneration groups in their towns (these being respectively Axbridge Town Council, Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge Regeneration Partnership and Shepton 21 Regeneration Partnership).

Other members attending heard about maximising opportunities when supermarkets are developing new town-centre stores (including public realm improvements), improving the retail ‘offer’ with a wider range of shops including niche shopping, and events that Chambers are organising, such as Shepton’s ‘Food Crawl’ of specialist food shops on October 24th and the switch-on of Burnham’s Christmas Lights last year, where the Chamber invited local schoolchildren which helped to make it a successful event. Another area of work is marketing – Axbridge successfully negotiated with Bristol International Airport to show a large poster in the Terminal promoting Axbridge to visitors. Axbridge Chamber are also very involved with the wider community - one example is that they are funding 3 places on the Tall Ships Race for local young people.

Matt Day, Information Officer for Somerset Market Towns Forum, said ‘Our members enjoyed the informative tour of the town, and were impressed by the local businesses they saw. The presentations by the Chambers of Commerce were very interesting, with some good ideas exchanged. Local businesses are a key element of what makes Market Towns successful and we are here to help towns share their experiences.’

SMTF would like to thank Sedgemoor District Council for their support and for funding the excellent catering, which was provided by Compton House Hotel, who also gave the venue for free.

Created on October 18th 2007

previous page

 

 

Tel: 01458 259077