The Town Partnership was formed after a wide consultative exercise (The Town Appraisal - there's a download button below). Partnership was established to undertake the projects identified in Appraisal and has adopted the following vision:
The Town Partnership, as an active partnership of key organisations, aims to further develop Chipping Norton as a ‘Working Cotswold Town’, through the delivery of projects that will sustain the town and surrounding area as a vibrant community in which to work and live.
Maintaining and enhancing the Town as a working Cotswold Town is neither straightforward nor easy. All the varied interests need to be accommodated, and a bold, considered and co-ordinated approach taken. Since none of the existing bodies have all it takes to steer, manage, fund and execute the necessary activities, something new was needed. Hence the birth of “The Chipping Norton Town Partnership” – a new body formed in December 2004 at a public launch meeting, specifically to harness capable and interested parties to work together, to secure funding where necessary, and to co-ordinate initiatives.
The Partnership has a focus on consulting with the Town and its people and employers but its overriding ethos is one of delivery - establishing priorities and practical mechanisms, securing funds, harnessing resources and skills, and effectively managing projects through to the point where they deliver concrete results to the benefit of the Town and neighbouring villages.
The aim of the Partnership is to own and drive the programme of work and activities that together best maintain and develop Chipping Norton as the working Cotswold Town articulated by the Appraisal exercise – a town where there is a mutually supporting balance of: economic prosperity; good housing and infrastructure; an environment in which it is pleasant to live and work; community spirit; attractiveness and accessibility; visitors; a thriving Town Centre; jobs and education.
We have four main groups of priority projects:
- Marketing the Town - including the development of this website
- Developing an Enterprise Centre to support new and existing businesses
- Working with young people
- Undertaking a Skills Audit and developing a strategy to meet the needs of local employers and employees
Management and organisation of the work is also important. The Steering Committee has overall control over the programme of work and the approval, tendering and resourcing of projects. An Action Plan was developed from the 2003 Appraisal, from which the Partnership has prioritised initial projects. A key aspect of this is sustainability – ensuring that investment is not wasted setting up facilities or services that are not operationally viable.
A Programme Manager (Catherine Chater) has been appointed, initially for a year, to coordinate the programme of projects on a day-to-day basis under the overall direction of the Steering Committee. Projects will be undertaken by local organisations or individuals, or by the Programme Manager. In some cases work will be contracted out. The Programme Manager will report to the Steering Committee and will play a lead role in securing funding, will work with and encourage local people in their involvement, will liaise with other bodies, and will oversee the development and maintenance of this website.