Market Town Regeneration; Challenges for Policy and Implementation

Many challenges face local authorities and communities as they engage in the Government's Market Towns Initiative, launched in 2001. This article first considers vertical relationships and the conflicts which emerged when national and regional agencies attempted to roll out a top-down programme that is intended to be essentially bottom-up and community driven. Horizontal relationships and issues are then examined such as integrating across sectors, engaging rural hinterlands and working with neighbouring towns. The article uses examples from the West Midlands and identifies key issues that could improve policy guidance and assist future implementation of the Market Towns Initiative.