When Yorkshire Forward announced their Renaissance Market Towns Initiative, all of the partnerships were given funding and officer support for an initial 3 years, allowing enough time to create organisational sustainability but also sufficient space to allow projects and initiatives to be properly researched and business plans. Well, Yore Vision is now halfway through our initial 3 years with full evaluation likely to take place in the spring of 2009 and we have reached some interesting milestones in our project.
Our consultants, Right Angle Management – based in Staveley- have reported on the feasibility study of our proposed Arts and Business Centre – the Aldborough Forum – and it makes encouraging reading, particularly in terms of the demand that such an enterprise could satisfy along the A1 Corridor and the wider Yorkshire/North East Regions. The challenge now is to persuade stakeholders and other regional/national bodies- particularly in the arts and business spheres- of the potential that the Forum would have. A project team is being formed – if this interests you, please let me know.

The Improving the Visitor Offer proposal that I mentioned in my last column is gathering speed with a team from a wide range of partners – HBC, Boroughbridge Town Council, Boroughbridge Chamber of Trade, Yore Vision, and North Yorkshire County Council- has been formed and financial estimates have been approved for all 3 elements of the programme – resurfacing St James’s Square, Welcome Host training for employees of local businesses and property grants for local businesses who are interested in renovating their shop and office frontages. The Yore Vision page on Harrogate Borough Council’s website –www.harrogate.gov.uk/yorevision – has all the details on the property grant scheme and Yore Vision in general.

As we have reached a crossroads, we are planning an Open Day for all interested in our activities and to highlight our achievements. The Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge is the venue, Saturday 24th November between 9 am and 1pm is the date and time when the Executive Committee and others would like to meet interested residents and others, over coffee and croissants, in order that we can share with you our journey so far and hopefully, you will share with us your hopes and aspirations for the communities of Boroughbridge and the Lower Ure Valley. We would be really pleased to meet with some of the young people of the area as many of our plans are designed to meet the needs of the next generation and beyond – their input is vitally important. I believe that we all want the best quality of life possible for all our local communities- why not join Yore Vision and others on the 24th November to make that belief become a reality.

Keith Ramsay
Chair
Yore Vision
29.10.07
kt@jack91.fsnet.co.uk