Town Appraisal
Well, what is this Town Appraisal all about? In essence, it is an apolitical information gathering process involving as wide a spectrum of local people as possible to establish what they want for their local community.
It will be conducted in accordance with the methodology set down some six years ago by the Countryside Agency, in response to the Government’s first initiative to enable towns with a population of more than 10,000 people to a have a greater say in influencing their own future.
We have the assistance of Surrey Community Action – a registered charity set up to support voluntary and community action through funding, advice, training and advocacy.
At present, our Steering Committee comprises ten people. In addition to me, Peter Mathers is Vice-Chairman; Anne Driver is Hon Treasurer; Robert Jenkins is Group leader for collection of data in relation to the community; Elizabeth Kennedy for the economy; Leonard Beighton for the environment and Mark Quinn for transport and accessibility. Dorothy Mitchell represents the Surrey County Council and David Tipping, the Elmbridge Borough Council. We also have the considerable experience of Margaret Morton of Surrey Community Action, who has already shepherded many Surrey towns to a successful conclusion of similar projects.
What then do we expect to achieve?
Firstly, to find out what people of our study area want for their local community. Those wishes will then be embodied in a Report which will be available to the public and which will inform the Statutory decision making process. We will use our best endeavours to ensure that those wishes become reflected by and subsumed into local government policy.
Secondly, we will produce an Action Plan which will identify and be instrumental in raising funding for specific projects, the desire for which has emerged from the data collection process. Many towns across the country which have produced similar Action Plans have found that a properly executed Countryside Agency Healthcheck process (which is what this is), has been of vital importance in achieving funding for exciting new projects.
In addition the Plan will identify the things people like about our area and seek to protect and enhance them.
It will also identify the things people dislike about our area and seek to eliminate or, at least, ameliorate them.
Finally - and also of enormous importance - the whole process will bring people together and improve our sense of Community. We want to encourage as many as possible - old and young; men and women; boys and girls; rich and poor; disadvantaged and comfortable; loved and unloved; ill and healthy; lonely and surrounded, to play an active role in shaping the destiny of our local community and its environment.
So please come and help us and spread the word. On top of everything else, it will be fun.
Nick Driver - Chairman