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Project A - Building Pride in Place through promotion of the Town Centre and Events. (original projects eleven, Thirteen and Fifteen combined):

Actions and Costs:

•Creative communities funds for local organisations and groups to support events £30,000 per annum

•Festive Trail event – working with One Maidstone to create a festive trail to run through the Town Centre from the last week of November through to December £20,000 in year 1

•Advertising budget to promote events across all channels £20,000 per annum

•Borough Insight Events and Town centre focussed £25,000 per annum

•Events Expertise to develop bespoke events £5,000 in year 1 and £20,000 in year 2 and year 3

•Promotional video for business and events in TC £10,000 year 1, £5,000 years 2 and 3

•Equipment purchase to support events £10,000 year 1 and £20,000 year 3

•Iggy Sculpture Trail, £60,000 in year

•Arts Carnival £20,000 in year 2 and 3 – making the July event bigger than present this will include engaging more schools and community groups with the creative workshops as well as potentially adding a skills training scheme for emerging local artists and producers to create a stronger, lasting legacy.

·  Partner for Elmer 2, £60,000 in year 3

E1: Funding for improvements to town centres and high streets, including better accessibility for disabled people, including capital spend and running costs.

E5: Design and management of the built and landscaped environment to ‘design out crime’.

E6: Support for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities.

E3: Creation of and improvements to local green spaces, community gardens, watercourses and embankments, along with incorporating natural features into wider public spaces.

£120,000

£175,000

£180,000

Jobs created

Jobs safeguarded Increased footfall Increased visitor numbers

Improved engagement numbers

Improved perception of facilities/amenities

Number of community-led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes as a result of support

Improved perception of events

Increased footfall

Increased use of cycleways or paths

Increased users of facilities/amenities

Improved perceived/experienced accessibility

Project B - A Safe and Attractive Town Centre achieved through Greening and Lighting (Original Projects Six, Nine, Ten and Eighteen): have been combined for exploration through a feasibility study in year 1, £20,000 before any works are approved. The feasibility study will be combined with other work required for the Town Centre Strategy so the amount allocated reflects the study being partly funded from the TCS allocation

Project C - Ten and Eighteen combined: Green Volunteering Project to Improve Town Centre Green Spaces, Increase Volunteering and Improve Wellbeing

the remit has been widened to provide volunteering to all age groups.

A volunteering project will be commissioned externally through Involve this will be supported by our parks and open spaces manager

 50 volunteers per annum

Cost breakdown, £60,000 in year 2 and 3:

Salary of Horticultural Therapist- £35k including oncosts.

Project Leader (Vol recruitment, support, coordination and identification and management of sites) £20k (part time role, includes on costs)

Contribution towards materials, plants, tools, insurance, health and safety, rent for storage, use of vehicle, recruitment and management costs

£5k.

Involve will also match fund £15k per year

Project will begin in council owned/leased or accessed sites in the town centre, with plans for future sites to be taken on as the scheme grows to unloved sites in the town centre, e.g. Fairmeadown

E1: Funding for improvements to town centres and high streets, including better accessibility for disabled people, including capital spend and running costs.

E3: Creation of and improvements to local green spaces, community gardens, watercourses and embankments, along with incorporating natural features into wider public spaces.

E5: Design and management of the built and landscaped environment to ‘design out crime’.

E9: Funding for impactful volunteering and/or social action projects to develop social and human capital in local places

E35: Activities such as enrichment and volunteering to improve opportunities and promote wellbeing.

£20,000

£60,000

£440,000

Increased footfall

Increased visitor numbers

Jobs created

Improved perception of facilities/amenities

Increased users of facilities/amenities Improved perceived/experienced accessibility

Jobs safeguarded

Reduced vacancy rates

Number of people supported to participate in education

Number of volunteering opportunities supported

Number of people taking part in work experience programmes Increased number of people familiarised with employers’ expectations, including, standards of behaviour in the workplace

Fewer people facing structural barriers into employment and into skills provision

Improved engagement numbers

Volunteering numbers as a result of support

Project C - A Community Arts Hub & Maker Space (Original project three)

Utilise an empty unit/building in the town centre and repurpose to provide:

• Low cost exhibition space for local artists and creatives

• Space to deliver arts activities and workshops for the local community

• Retail area where creatives can hire a shelf/unit to sell their products• Space for community arts groups to meet/rehearse (e.g. local choirs)

• 6 – 8 low-rent studios for use by local artists and creatives

• Mix of clean and messy studio spaces• Informal meeting area(s) to facilitate networking and collaboration

• Potential to employ an ‘artist in residence’ to lead activities or to work with different artists/groups to deliver

• Focal point for arts in the town

• Base for town centre events and festivals. Artists and creatives can be offered discounted hire rates in exchange for giving some of their time to lead workshops and/or help manage the facility

If the right premises can be identified there is potential to enhance the offer to include small-scale theatrical productions/music performances/open-mic sessions/comedy nights/poetry readings, etc. which could also contribute to the early evening and night-time economy. A site appraisal to identify the best space will be undertaken in 2023/24, and work may begin that year on the space – budget dependent

E6: Support for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities.

£5,000

£45,000 est

Jobs created

Jobs safeguarded Increased footfall Increased visitor numbers

Improved engagement numbers

Improved perception of facilities/amenities Number of community-led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes as a result of support

Improved perception of events

Project D - Links from the Town Centre to Lockmeadow - Activity/Outdoor Gym – Callisthenics – (original project two

It is a good idea to provide facilities/activities to draw people between the town centre and Lockmeadow; the play equipment recently installed at Lockmeadow has been very popular.  

Fairmeadow Riverside spaces. Provides a free to use outdoor gym experience – a destination from town centre and for walkers and joggers on towpath; synergy with nearby boat café. Activation of open spaces that have potential to increase footfall, improve health outcomes, provide a focus and identity along with an opportunity to uplift the area and renew existing facilities in the area.

If space allows additional provision of interactive equipment that provide an element of competition/gamification of fitness. Space would provide for coaching and training providers to develop their business.

E3: Creation of and improvements to local green spaces, community gardens, watercourses and embankments, along with incorporating natural features into wider public spaces.

£40,000

£66,500

Increased footfall

Increased visitor number

Increased use of cycleways or paths

Jobs created

Improved perception of facilities/amenities

Increased users of facilities/amenities

Improved perceived/experienced accessibility