AS Advantage Alcester comes to the end of its four-year plan, chairman Lise Evans spoke to the Chronicle about what the organisation had achieved in its lifetime and how the Market Town Initiative had benefited Alcester...

ADVANTAGE Alcester was launched in January 2002 to take advantage of the Market Town Initiative to regenerate market towns and the rural economy, started in a Government White Paper the previous year.

A collection of individuals, community groups, business organisations and representatives of parish, town and county councils, formed a Market Town Partnership, with funds available from Advantage West Midlands (AWM), and embarked on a programme of improvements to the town.

Chairman Lise Evans said: "It's easy to forget how much we have achieved and once I started looking back at what we've done I realised how much there has been."

The organisation started a health check to raise the key issues which helped form an action plan in June 2002 for improvements in Alcester was divided into headings which included town centre enhancement, the promotion of Alcester, business support, improved learning opportunities, community and leisure, and sustainable transport.

Ms Evans said they had carried out a town centre study in the winter of 2002/3 which involved a traffic survey and pedestrian audit and ultimately culminated in the town centre improvements set to take place in the new year.

The group designed a tourism strategy for the town, producing a heritage trail leaflet, four country walks guides, a visitor guide, website, visitor information boards and maps, and six fingerposts around the town.

It has also run events to attract visitors, including the Farmers' Market, recently-held St Nicholas Night, and Town Criers' competitions. Advantage Alcester supported business in the area by creating Minerva Mill and running Alcester Enterprise Week, and the appointment of an Alcester Enterprise Officer.

The group has helped community groups such as Alcester Opportunities, Alcester in Bloom, the Greig Centre and the heritage centre, as well as staging a Second World War exhibition and supporting the Youth Music Workshop and launching the programme of cycle hire at the Greig Centre.

Advantage Alcester is also supporting the refurbishment of the Greig Centre's kitchen and toilets plus improvements to High Street crossings and the town's tueries.

Ms Evans said although core funding is set to run out on March 31 the group was looking at continuing its work in some form and had a succession planning working group culminating in a town meeting on February 23 at the Greig Centre.

LONG-AWAITED work to improve the High Street is set to start in the New Year, along with improvements to the town's tueries.

County council contractors Carillion are scheduled to start work on Advantage Alcester's planned improvements to High Street and Bull's Head Yard, Oak Tuery and Market Way in January in a culmination to the organisation's efforts.

Advantage Alcester chairman Lise Evans said the project had come a long way from the original scheme.

"Public consultation with the people of Alcester made it clear that improvements to the surfaces and lighting should be prioritised over any decorative or artistic additions," she said.

The work will feature a two-tone block paving scheme, new lighting and improvements to entries and exits and materials will be co-ordinated with new High Street crossings, which it is hoped will be installed at around the same time.

The three pedestrian crossings will coincide with improved access for the disabled, bike racks, and improved paving near the Post Office, also set to start early in the new year.

The work, backed by Advantage Alcester, Advantage West Midlands, Stratford District Council and Warwickshire County Council, is expected to take two months and will be organised to cause the least disruption possible and High Street will not be completely closed.

Advantage Alcester also has an award from Warwickshire County Council Arts to install a mosaic at entrances to Bull's Head Yard, Market Place and Oak Tuery. A design competition for the town's young people will be launched in the new year and, after winning designs are chosen, a series of workshops with artist Steve Field will produce the mosaics ready for April 2006.

John Mattocks, deputy chairman of Advantage Alcester, said it had taken an enormous amount of effort over four years, involving town district and county councils and numerous other organisations and individuals, to reach this point.

"It's really exciting to know work is about to start and that soon the town will begin to see real benefits for the people of Alcester," he said.

"We hope that this will be just phase one in making Alcester a better place, and a better pedestrian experience, and that our work will be continued in some form after the end March when the Market Towns Initiative and Advantage Alcester's funding ends."

An open surgery will be held between 10-11am at Globe House every Friday during the contract period to take on board local concerns or general queries to minimise inconvenience.