Introduction

This section of the toolkit is about turning ideas and plans into action. To do that, you need people to collaborate. Having a plan or a vision helps people to agree what to work towards and secure the resources you'll need to deliver projects. And measuring success is vital to adjust what you do and learn from experience.

These activities are shown in the diagram and described in the text below.

• Collaboration: the biggest single asset of any town centre is the energy of its people. Businesses, community groups, individuals, social enterprises, artists, the local authority and other public bodies – it is the energy of all these people and organisations that generates town centre activity and civic pride. None of them can build a better town centre alone – they need to work together.
• Plan: creating a good plan brings people together, sets common priorities, and helps secure funding and support to deliver.
• Resources: whether it’s money, land or people’s time, you will need resources to make things happen. Not every project needs millions of pounds, but you can’t do much with nothing at all.
• Deliver: Some people like to plan, others like to do. Town centres need both. Plans only come to life if people deliver what's in the plan.
• Measuring success: It’s useful to check how you’re getting on over time, so you know what’s working and what you need to do differently.