Products and Services : Market Towns Regional Web Sites

Background

Information is out there, everywhere, but how do you find it? Where is there information dedicated to your region (with links in to a national network)?

Where is there information that will help you regenerate your market town(s)?

Action for Market Towns decided to look for partners to help us provide useful information to those working in market town regeneration.

The Project

Normally in partnership with Regional Development Agencies, County Councils or other Regional Organisations we have developed a proven model that delivers up to date, detailed information.

This service has been delivered in the East Midlands (www.emtowns.org.uk - with 1200 visits in March 2004 rising to 3700 in March 2005) and the South East ( www.setowns.org.uk ) with a number of counties looking at the model.

We decided the website should have its own URL (address) and identity but can be based upon the current successful format used by AMT.

All the website content and data can be managed centrally by AMT and any required updates can be managed centrally using our staff. 

Although the data will be centralised there is no restriction on the way the information may be presented, so the regional website can adopt its own preferred layouts, colour schemes, etc.

The Regional-specific website would be based around a format that has proven successful on the existing AMT website:

• Map of the region with clickable sections to view specific counties/areas
• Descriptions and pictures of towns
• Local News
• Local Events
• Useful documents
• Online Discussion Forum

Other facilities can be added as necessary.  The news, events and documents systems would again benefit from being centralised to ensure consistency.  We can also feed data and information from the region through to the national AMT website where appropriate and vice versa.

A facility where website visitors (the towns themselves) can send news and event information to the administrator could also be built in. These items would be automatically added to the database but not appear live on the site until the administrator  (AMT) had checked them for spelling, grammar and overall appropriateness.

The website would be hosted on a dedicated server with its own URL.  Technical support and management would be provided through our existing arrangements with TMS Media, although AMT would retain overall responsibility and accountability.  AMT would also take full responsibility for the content management of the site.

The Future

Other regions around England, Wales and Northern Ireland are already considering the idea of having a regional market towns web site.  Action for Market Town's intention is to have a web site representing every region in detail to link in with the national market towns web site at www.towns.org.uk

If you would like to consider a similar web site using this established model and for further information, please contact mailto:info@towns.org.uk

 Information File 1