TERRIFIC TOWNS: Ashburton TOWN TEAM ACTION PLANNING WORKSHOP

JUne 2019

With support from the Dartmoor National Park Authority, the Terrific Towns project has been created to drive forward the vision of high streets as an ‘experience’ to ensure vibrancy and economic sustainability, using insights from The Portas Review (2011). In Ashburton this saw the creation of a Town Team to act as a working group, however they required support in organizing their many ideas to take a more strategic approach.

DCT ran a facilitated action-planning workshop on 6th June 2019 to enable Ashburton to build on the strengths and opportunities afforded by the assets within the town, to create a bespoke and feasible action plan. 17 individuals representing businesses and organisations within Ashburton attended the workshop. Through facilitated activities, the Town Team decided upon three projects to take forward and formed three sub working groups around these projects which are: a volunteer bank; signage improvements; and transport solutions.

IMPACT

The workshop was based on asset based community development and place-based, bottom-up innovation. Methods were designed to empower the community to understand their own resources and address local issues. The Town Team actions will increase the resilience of Ashburton’s economy.