Healthchecks and Action Plans

Stratford-on-Avon District Council have supported the development of the Market Towns Initiative (MTI) in our district since 2001. In 2003 and 2004 the MTI became a corporative priority for us.

Four towns, Alcester, Shipston on Stour, Southam and Stratford-upon-Avon, have gone through the process of preparing Healthchecks, Action Plans and Implemention Plans and these can be found in the downloads section on the right hand side of this page.

In each town the process is led by a community-based group of individuals whose common aim is to improve the quality of life and the economic vitality of the Market Town and it's immediately surrounding rural hinterland.

Supported by a consultant and officers form Stratford-on-Avon District Council, the first task is to produce the healthcheck. This is a comprehensive study of the town and its hinterland and their facilities, opinions and aspirations. The aim is to identify each town's strengths, weaknesses and threats.

Supported by the data detailed in the healthcheck, an action plan is produced. This lists those actions that, if implemented will improve some aspects of the town and its hinterland.

The final stage is to create an implementation plan. This expands on items from the action plan that are to be taken forward within a given period of time and identifies what work is to be done and where the financial and other resources are to be obtained.

The Community Leadership Team will continue to offer a high level of support for the market towns of Alcester, Shipston on Stour, Southam & Stratford upon Avon though market town officers are taking on new roles and responsibilities and are now known as Community Area Coordinators. They will provide support to all organisations and groupings within the four geographical areas that coincide with the areas covered by SDC's Area Community Committees Arden, Avon, Dassett and Stour rather than just to the specific market town 

The Area Coordinators will establish robust two-way channels of communication between the community and its elected members. It is considered vital that the voice of the community continues to be heard by elected members when they debate and eventually reach decisions, equally the thoughts and decisions made by elected members need to be communicated accurately and in a timely manner to those people most likely to be effected.

These changes will, amongst a number of other objectives, ensure that the invaluable work done and continuing to be done by the market towns groups is built upon in a sustainable way by moving to a more strategic less project-based approach.

For further information please contact the Market Towns Project Manager on 01789 260640 or by email at ecodev@stratford-dc.gov.uk or by fax on 01789 260607.