AMT Public

Press release: 6 July 2009

Community asset transfer in North Allerdale wins it top market town award in North West

A Partnership that wasn’t prepared to end exciting developments initiated through the MTi was named winner of the North West Market Town Awards.

An effective partnership, North Allerdale (now North Allerdale Development Trust – NADT) secured funding to deliver key projects, to implement innovative strategies and to create a Development Trust securing a sustainable legacy through partnership with Local Authority to achieve a trailblazing community project through Asset Transfer.

Achievements of the Partnership include the establishment and registration of the North Allerdale Development Trust Limited, the appointment of Board and Chief Executive and application for charitable status, and the completion of the Market Hall Annexe in February 2009 for use as a Local Links Centre providing accommodation for NADT, local authorities and other organizations with full occupation of the building in March 2009 (core tenants providing regular income).

In Wigton, NADT secured £735,000 from the BIG Lottery Fund (Community Asset Fund) to refurbish Wigton Market Hall culminating with the asset transfer of both Market Hall and Annexe to NADT on completion, providing further community facilities while developing a toolkit for others wanting to take the asset transfer route. The Partnership has also established the development partnership for Wigton as well as a new Business Forum for Wigton.

The North Allerdale Development Trust was named the winner of the Partnership & Strategic Working Category of the North West Market Town Awards and also overall regional winner. They received a framed certificate and will now go head-to-head with other regional winners to compete for the National Market Town Award at the Action for Market Towns Convention in Melton Mowbray in October.

North Allerdale – Wigton, Silloth, Aspatria & rural hinterland, is recognised as a defined geographical area at local, regional and central government level and was acknowledged as a Market Town in the recent MTi programme through NWDA.

Other winners were:

Business and Economy category: Ulverston County Square is a good example of an enhancement scheme that has resulted in a magnificent new town square built using natural local stone by local contractors. The overall aim of the project was to stimulate the economy of Ulverston by improving the built environment and attracting footfall to the area through the installation of a statue as a significant tourist attraction. Unveiling of the bronze statue of Laurel and Hardy (Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston on 16 June 1890) and the formal opening of the scheme took place on 19 April. Comedian Ken Dodd unveiled the statue.

Environment and Culture category: Creative Egremont is an excellent example of an ongoing strategy of arts interventions which builds on the indigenous culture of Egremont to put communities at the heart of regenerating the town. From Turner Prize winning artists to a mobile gallery on a milk float, to young people writing songs, recording CDs and designing the packaging the town’s reputation has been enhanced so that there is a steady flow of artists working with the town – the latest being Victoria Melody whose project Demographic of A Pigeon Fancier will be exhibited at the Brighton Festival before coming to Egremont to use the Folk Float in September.

Commendation: Sandbach Market Square Regeneration – This project showed how community involvement helped to design the refurbishment of Sandbach’s Market Square, home to the Saxon Crosses. For 20 years this key open space was being used as a car park and has now been transformed into a usable space for the town. Community consultation included exhibitions of the designs for the public to view and comment on, a website to gather feedback, questionnaires and focus groups.

The North West Market Town Awards are part of the National Market Town Awards run by Action for Market Towns which each year celebrate the great variety of volunteer-led projects that are helping to regenerate and sustain small towns throughout the country. The Awards were presented at the Royal Oak Hotel in Garstang on the evening of Monday 6th July.

Ends

For further press information on the market town awards, please contact: John Pole on 01430 441557. E-mail: john.pole@towns.org.uk

To contact North Allerdale Partnership (now NADT), ring Andy Bush on 016973 49864 / 07853 388952or email nadt@btconnect.com

Market Town Awards homepage