AMT Public

On 8 July 2010, the Small Towns for Tomorrow Policy Forum launched at The British Academy in central London.

Over 50 delegates from around the country – bringing a diverse range of expertise and experience in areas such as planning, urban regeneration, heritage, and community development – gathered for the first ever conference exploring the future of small towns. The conference was funded and supported by Action for Market Towns.

Conference summary

Download the conference agenda

Small Towns for the Big Society: how are small towns going to develop in the future and what can we do now to prepare for that?

For many people the phrase ‘England’s small towns’ conjures up picture postcard images of market squares, quaint churches, small, independent shops all set amidst beautiful countryside in which nestle the many, equally picturesque villages that, tradition has it, depend upon the small towns.  We all know the reality is different but this idealised picture persists and, in terms of 21st century England, is unhelpful.

What is a small town?

Small rural towns are diverse: some poor, some rich, some inland, some seaside, some picturesque, some essentially industrial or, more likely, post-industrial. Many are commuter towns, bases for the workers in the ‘knowledge based’ occupations of the big towns and cities.  Diversity and character are a key part of the attraction of smaller towns as places in which to live and work and we must preserve these.

Unfortunately, for most of the post-war years policy has paid little attention to the wider role and potential of our rural towns and larger villages.  Currently, over 11 million people or more than 85% of rural England’s population live in rural towns and in most parts of the country they are growing very fast.

Growing but in decline

The research picture is complicated and contradictory and policy must be founded upon a sophisticated and flexible evidence base.  We already know that many small towns are growing in an almost uncontrolled manner as the pressure to build more houses increases, while the pressures on their traditionally strong independent retail mix means that local services are in decline, as are local employment opportunities as public services become increasingly centralised and remote from local decision making.

Commuting patterns may turn some towns into dormitories but that does not mean they need be devoid of services and community infrastructure. The popularity of rural living for older people means that some small towns with expensive housing have an older than average population – with the obvious implications for health and social care provision. Others, such as ex-mining towns, have their lost their reason to exist and require an approach to economic development that recognises their local and regional context.

Keynote speaker

Chairman Professor Ray Pahl opened the conference and introduced the keynote speaker, Sir Peter Hall, Bartlett Professor of Planning and Regeneration at University College London.

Sir Peter set the context for the day with his insight into a new geography for England, and how small towns fit into this.  He talked about the continuing north-south divide with a Golden Belt of prosperity sweeping across the south, and the ‘archipelago economy’ of other areas where prosperous ‘islands’ have emerged among areas of greater disadvantage.

In particular, he mentioned the challenges that small towns are facing, including the ageing population and the young being priced out of smaller towns, population growth but lack of housing, out-of-town superstores competing with traditional town centres, and the increasing competition with larger urban areas, both domestically and overseas.

View Sir Peter’s presentation

• A New Geography of England – first half (Powerpoint presentation)
• A New Geography of England – second half (Powerpoint presentation).

Expert presentations

Danny Friedman, Director of Housing at Ecotec

Small towns in the context of housing and planning

Danny spoke of the paradox whereby those living in more rural areas tend to be on lower incomes, yet housing in those areas is deemed more desirable and is priced above the national average.  He also talked about planning that is too often developer-led and can lead to a less holistic approach to town planning which in turn can result in fewer integrated services, new housing on the periphery and lack of a sense of place for residents both existing and new.  Danny stated the need for more affordable housing, stronger community involvement and greater partnership working.

• View Danny’s presentation: The growth of small towns and impacts of this on housing and planning (pdf)

Dr Peter Damesick, Head of Research at CB Richard Ellis

The economy of small towns including opportunities and challenges for inward investment

Peter spoke about the way in which the traditional town centre retail role is changing.  He used the grocery sector to illustrate the changing structure and pattern of retailing with the example of 2.3% of the grocery market being serviced by independent stores while the rest, some 97.7%, being served by the big-box supermarkets and multiples such as the Co-op.

Given the fact that supermarkets have now very much diversified into offering non-grocery product line, the impact of this is tremendous.  He talked about supermarkets and out-of-town shopping complexes being the new town centres, and factors such as the recession, the increasing shift towards online shopping and lack of suitability of some high street premises for modern shopping, only adding to the situation.

He finished his presentation by identifying possible ways forward given this backdrop, including accepting that the role is changing, having possibly fewer but larger in-town stores and making the planning rules more flexible to enable change of use.

• View Peter’s presentation: The economy of small towns, including opportunities and challenges for inward investment (pdf)

Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Metropolitan University

Tourism and Renaissance in Small Towns

The visitor economy is an important sector for many small towns.  Harold defined what is meant by tourism underlining the need for a balance between the benefits and disbenefits of tourism in terms of its economic, social and environmental impacts, with the local community at the heart.

He spoke of the need to realise that a town that is desirable for residents will be desirable for visitors and businesses too.  An important part of Harold’s presentation dealt with the need for local democracy at the very local level.  Local people must feel empowered to shape the places in which they live, and hence a democratic system must be in place locally to ensure that all sections of the community can contribute equally.

• View Harold’s presentation: Sustainability issues for small towns including reducing the carbon footprint (pdf).

Dr Bob Crichton, Managing Director of HOP Associates

Small Towns and the Changing Nature of Work

Bob spoke about the drivers of change over the last century that have impacted upon the way in which we work, from the development of the motorways and the introduction of the home computer, to the internet and other technological advances.  The impacts are great and have enabled a massive shift in terms of what is now feasible.

For small towns, which can suffer from an inequality between affordability and income, this poses some interesting opportunities for the future, including the possibility for higher paid workers to live further from their traditional places of work and work from home.

Bob introduced the emerging concept of work-hubs – community-based shared workspaces – which could instil a new lease of life into empty town premises, and serve a local home-based work community.

• View Bob’s presentation: Future drivers of change and potential outcomes for small towns (Powerpoint presentation).

Find out more about the speakers

Expert panel session

Chris Wade, Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns (AMT) gave a short presentation before chairing a panel session.  He introduced the need to underpin any thinking on the future of small towns with a focus on self-reliance, with the current political emphasis on Big Society and greater community empowerment.

Chris summarised the key policy foci for AMT – Affordable Housing, Community Led Planning, Rural Services and Prosperous Places (local economies) – and welcomed ‘Small Towns for Tomorrow’ as a positive forum for debate and research that could help to motivate the political agenda for this particular audience.

• Download Market Towns – the Next Ten Years (pdf) – AMT’s discussion paper on the future of market towns over the next ten years.

Key points from panel session

Build on the fact that small towns hold a special meaning for many people
Small towns do face many challenges over the future, but it is not all doom and gloom.  Change needs to be embraced and planned for.  Small towns benefit from the fact that many can empathise with their needs and opportunities having lived in them themselves, and this should be seen as a positive.

Understand the role of local communities, volunteers and local partnership working
As illustrated through Community Led Planning for example.  However, some towns are better equipped than others – a more desirable town may have greater numbers of educated and trained volunteers, as opposed to other towns that might require more assistance in building capacity.

The need to ensure democracy at the grassroots level was also flagged to ensure that sectors of the community are not disadvantaged in the process.  Furthermore, a reliance on grassroots-led development, combined with the potential loss of the regional tier of governance, might result in a reduced strategic view for future planning, where an area strategy is better placed to address issues such as tourism and transport planning.

The need for further research
What sorts of towns exist and what kinds of problems are faced in different types of towns? The key is to understand the issues, explore solutions, and communicate these to central government in a collective, sensible and meaningful way.  Potential areas for further research and understanding include:

• exploring towns in more deprived areas and understanding why some are prospering while others are not. What lessons could be shared?
• understanding the likely impact of changing work patterns and spending power in small towns.  What might the impact of home working be on small towns?  Can it help small towns to compete with larger urban areas?
• exploring the practical opportunities for low carbon economies offered by small towns.  What might the drivers of change in small towns mean on an environmental level?
• learning from the example in Yorkshire and Humber of ‘Town Teams’ as a way of encouraging open participation among local people in a democratic way.
• learning from overseas case studies on issues such as transport and access

Take stock of the wealth of evidence already available
The Regional Development Agencies, for example, have undertaken much work on small towns.  There is a need to ensure that this is not lost as a result of government cuts, and to build upon what is there already to avoid duplication.

Use education to upskill people to match local needs
Understanding the role that education and further education can play in creating dynamism in small towns as well as raising local aspirations.  An example was given of American community colleges which provide training for local people matched to need and also to spur entrepreneurialism – what can be learnt from this?

Learn from the past to create new towns
Build on lessons learnt to ensure that new towns are sustainable and resilient.

Address the planning system
A shift towards new localism in the planning system might be a challenge, for example where local communities can act against a proposal for affordable housing, which might actually be required in the town.

Presentation on research into small towns

Professor John Shepherd, Director of the Rural Evidence Research Centre at Birkbeck, University of London

Rural Towns: what do we know and what do we need to know?

John introduced the need to develop a narrative about small towns, underpinned by a policy oriented evidence base to ensure that towns are properly represented within Government policy.  He talked about the typology of small towns that has been developed using a series of data to define different types of town that can then be compared and contrasted.  He went on to speak about the kind of data that is currently available and what might be of use in the future, and the need for accessible, shared information.

• View John’s presentation: Rural Towns: what do we know and what do we need to know? (Powerpoint presentation)

Discussion groups

Five workshops took place in the afternoon. We summarise the key outputs below:

Discussion group 1 – The economic viability of small towns

Economic viability, within the wider context of sustainability, is a key issue for small towns especially in a time of growth and increasing competition both nationally, globally and virtually.

Discussions focused on how small towns can improve their economic viability through, for example, attracting inward investment, collaborative working, understanding relationships with other towns and cities and greater partnerships and networking.

• See key points from the discussion group: The economic viability of small towns

Discussion group 2 – The contribution of small towns to the green agenda

Climate change is arguably the largest problem facing the world – now and into the future. The need to achieve sustainable development through, for example, environmental technologies and solutions must begin at the local level.

Discussion focused on what small towns are doing, and can do, to contribute to the green agenda in order to secure a sustainable future for the long-term.

• See key points from the discussion group: The contribution of small towns to the green agenda

Discussion group 3 – Small towns and the Big Society agenda

The new Government is committed to the idea of Big Society.  Some of the areas that Big Society is looking to support include giving more powers to local communities, encouraging people to take an active role in their communities, transferring power from central to local government, supporting co-ops, mutuals, charities and social enterprises and the publication of central government data on local issues.

Discussion focused on the emerging Big Society and explored what this means for small towns and their communities including opportunities to seize.

• See key points from the discussion group: Small towns and the Big Society agenda

Discussion group 4 – Using the diversity of small towns for strategic benefit

Small towns exhibit a range of different characteristics based upon their heritage, industries and communities.  In an era of growth and change, the challenge will be to understand how these differences can benefit towns strategically.

Discussion focused on the importance of the individuality and diversity of small towns and how to maintain this within in a broader vision for small towns over the long-term.

• See key points from the discussion group: Using the diversity of small towns for strategic benefit

Discussion group 5 – Reclaiming local government in small towns

A push towards greater community involvement within the local area appears on the surface to be a positive policy.  It does however require a need for all sectors of the community to have the capacity and ability to get involved with the avoidance of any unintended consequences.

Discussion focused on how to reduce the democratic deficit in the small town setting, exploring ways to ensure that local people retain a voice and input into their community and are not overshadowed by bigger interests.

• See key points from the discussion group: Reclaiming local government in small towns

Research and policy round-up

The final session of the day included a brief response to the day’s debate from both a research and policy perspective.

Adrian Alsop, Director for Research at the Economic and Social Research Council

Adrian suggested that the day had provided a useful and interesting starting point for debate.  Small towns are a hidden wealth of the nation and are a dynamic part of the economy.

There were plenty of areas where additional research would be useful – exploring how towns interact with each other, their rural hinterlands and larger urban areas, leadership at the small towns level, undertaking international comparisons and transferring knowledge – and bringing together partners through the Small Towns for Tomorrow Forum was a positive first step in achieving this.

Keith Thorpe, Head of Urban Policy Team at the Department for Communities and Local Government

Keith suggested that central government has had a tendency to overlook smaller towns, mainly due to the lack of clarity over which department has responsibility for them.  Many departments were not very ‘place-based’ in their policy approaches and tended to focus more on sectors or individuals.

He thought that the debate from the day highlighted that small towns have much to offer and while they face challenges such as an ageing population and the flight of the young, there are opportunities to build on, from the effect of the digital economy to the push for more local and greener thinking.

He suggested that much could be learnt from work that has taken place on coastal towns and that engaging MPs would provide political support for the development of the policy forum.  A Select Committee Inquiry and adjournment debates on coastal/seaside towns, coupled with lobbying by groups of coastal town MPs, had helped to trigger Ministerial interest in and action on the issue.

Furthermore the shift towards Big Society provides an excellent opportunity for small towns and their communities to shape their own futures, and now is the time to lead the way in finding local solutions through mechanisms such as Local Enterprise Partnerships.

There was scope for drawing on learning and best practice on small towns policies from across Europe. Urban development policy was now a recurrent theme of successive EU Presidencies with an increasing interest in understanding urban–rural relationships.

For places interested in producing their own ‘state of a small town’ report, the interactive Places Database on the Communities and Local Government website gives access to a broad range of statistical data down to super output area (SOA) level: www.places.communities.gov.uk.

Final Word from Professor Ray Pahl

In thanking the speakers Professor Pahl thought it significant that both Adrian Alsop and Keith Thorpe had warm personal emotional attachments to small towns and this emotional capital could be seen as a hidden resource.

Turning to consider the future of STfT, Ray Pahl emphasized that it should be a national watchdog for small towns and not a whinging group. It should not seek or accept Government support if it is to be truly independent. This actually increases its usefulness to policy makers; especially if it is in the position to be able to warn them of, or expose, unintended consequences of specific policies that might affect the 11 million people living in small towns.

He went on to echo Adrian Alsop’s suggestion that research should be of high quality, done in partnership and shown to have an impact. As a Thinktank, STfT would have credibility and impact if its approach was solidly evidence-based. The model of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, whilst well out of our league, shows what true independence can achieve.

STfT must be free to be constructively critical of the policies and activities of Central and Local Government as well as well-meaning organisations with a stake in the field. There needs to be more research on, and evaluation of, all their approaches and activities and the long-term consequences for the maintenance and development of economically and socially successful small towns.

• For further information about any of the information contained in the Conference Summary, please contact Alison at Alison.Eardley@towns.org.uk

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