| The future regeneration of Rushden is about to take a major step forward. East Northamptonshire Council has appointed The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment to carry out an in depth look at the options for the regeneration of the Town Centre using its nationally recognised Enquiry By Design public consultation process. The Prince’s Foundation will use this process to bring together people and businesses with an interest in Rushden to collaborate on a vision for the town centre. The outcome of the exercise will be a detailed plan, including specific proposals for key sites, together with a strategy for delivering it. The process begins with a scoping day on 4 February with representatives from businesses and key local organisations from the Rushden area. This will be followed by a 3 day workshop from 24 – 26 February with a wider group which will include public meetings to ensure that the views of local communities are actively taken into account. Most of the funding for this work is being provided by Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited (NEL), the body that works in partnership to encourage economic development, inward investment and tourism for Northamptonshire. Councillor Philip Hardcastle, East Northamptonshire Council’s Economic Development Champion, said: “We are excited to be working in partnership with the Prince’s Foundation on this project. It is noted for its community-led approach and is selective about which projects it undertakes, so we are delighted that it has chosen to work with us. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to involve local people and key organisations in producing a vision for the town, and to stimulate opportunities for major private sector investment in Rushden. We need to make sure the town is well-placed to benefit from the economic upturn when the financial climate improves, and we are confident that this exercise will put the building blocks in place and ensure we are ready to make the most of those opportunities when they come.” The regeneration of Rushden is being led by East Northamptonshire Council and Rushden Town Council working in partnership. Cllr Colin Wright said on behalf of Rushden Town Council: “The Town Council welcomes the approach that will be taken by The Prince’s Foundation. It is vital that we engage local communities in shaping the future of Rushden so that we can develop a vision that is realistic and achievable and has strong local support. The work will also explore how sites in the Town Centre owned by the public sector can be used to kick start the regeneration process.” Hank Dittmar, Chief Executive of the Prince’s Foundation adds: “We are delighted at the prospect of helping the community of Rushden think about how to create a sustainable future and look forward to hearing their views and aspirations when we meet in February.” | ||
| Author: ENC | Display start: Wednesday 27 January 2010 end: Saturday 27 February 2010 | |