Town shines a beacon for business

By Caroline Briggs BBC News Online, Cumbria

Keswick attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year

When businessman Michael Standring was asked to help raise money to improve town centre streets in Keswick he jumped at the chance to make a difference.

Cap in hand, he knocked on the doors of pubs, shops and hotels in the picturesque Lake District town to beg for funds.

The community spirit shown by Mr Standring and his business peers eventually paid off.

Mr Standring was able to hand over a cheque for thousands of pounds that went towards paying for the vital changes.

Eight years later, and the idea of small businesses putting into a communal pot to pay for a common goal has taken on a new twist.

Keswick has been chosen as one of six new Beacon Towns to show how England's market towns can provide more business opportunities, jobs, housing and services.

I think it is a fantastic idea to have something like this Michael Standring, local businessman

Its status has led it to be chosen as a "rural" test bed for a Business Improvement District (BID) which, it is hoped, will help transform the town's business fortunes.

If businesses vote for the scheme, they will pay a "levy" into a pot of money that will then be used to pay for the projects they want - just like Mr Standring's successful precedent.

Mr Standring, who runs George Fisher outdoor wear shop, welcomed the possibility of town centre businesses working together for a common goal.

He said: "I think it is a fantastic idea to have something like this.

"If everyone, for example, felt there was a need for a statue, or for a wishing-well in the town centre, then all businesses could contribute a percentage of their equitable value and that money could be ringfenced for that purpose.

"It has huge possibilities.

"After the success with the road improvements, about four or five of us got together to try and raise funds in the same way for a town centre manager.

"But that failed because a lot of the national shops who had branches in the town would not entertain the idea, which was a shame."

Keswick stands near the banks of Derwent Water

Keswick's beacon status from the Countryside Agency means it will be one of just two rural areas to consider piloting the new business initiative if the legislation is passed as expected in 2004.

If the scheme gets the go-ahead, it is hoped the town as a whole will enjoy the knock-on benefits.

And Keswick is an example of a rural town not without its problems.

Its idyllic image amid the lakes and rolling hills of north Lakeland has served to hide the challenges faced by the town and its surrounding rural communities.

House prices have been pushed well above the national average as the town grows in popularity with holiday and retirement home buyers.

Much of the local economy is dependent on the seasonal tourism industry - an industry that was tested to its limits during the dark days of the foot-and-mouth epidemic three years ago.

And despite low unemployment, a "health check" survey in the town revealed widespread dissatisfaction with relatively low wages and too few long-term career prospects.

'Positive impact'

Keswick is one of six market towns out of 200 taking part in the Countryside Agency's Market Towns Initiative chosen to demonstrate how particular problems in rural communities can be overcome.

The others are Brigg, in North Lincolnshire; Carterton in Oxfordshire; Longtown in Cumbria; Newmarket in Suffolk, and Thirsk in North Yorkshire.

Each town has been chosen to demonstrate how best to tackle a particular issue or range of issues.

Tina Smith, Keswick Market Town Initiative officer, said consultations with local businesses about the BID pilot were about to begin.

She said: "We hope this would have a positive impact on Keswick and improve the lives of everyone living and working in the town.

Business ideas

"If the consultation is successful, a referendum will be held and if that too is positive, a 'levy' of about 2% will be placed on the businesses.

"That money will be used to spent on project ideas that have been put forward by the businesses themselves.

"It could be anything from improved marketing of the Keswick brand to extra refuse collections - it is entirely up to what business people in the town want."

Richard Wakeford, Countryside Agency chief executive, said: "Our research shows that our country towns face many challenges.

"They also have great potential, not only as traditional service centres, but also as centres for tourism and new business.

"The Beacon Towns' stories will be used to inform the work of other town partnerships around the country, and to influence policy makers and local, regional and national organisations interested in sustainable rural development."