The initial purpose of the partnership was to start a town centre management initiative in Glossop taking into account and co-ordinating the needs of the town centre customers, employees, retailers, business interests, residents, freeholders, developers and local authorities.

Its role now is to guide the whole of Glossop and its community to help with the regeneration of the town and its outlying villages and to use the identification of strengths and weaknesses as a base on which to move forward.

There are a number of sub-groups that work behind the scenes developing ideas and opportunities. These include: Britain in Bloom and Glossop Vision Action Group.

The partnership is now into its seventh year of activity and partners are continuing to work hard to put Glossop on the map and to make it a place that people want to visit and re-visit.

A grant from the Countryside Agency's Market Towns Initiative enabled us to employ a Market Town Health Check co-ordinator for six months whose role was to co-ordinate a health check of Glossop and the surrounding countryside. The health check has been developed by the Glossop Vision board into a draft Masterplan for the regeneration of public open spaces.

In February 2004 High Peak council secured a Liveability Fund grant of £2.3m for Glossop. This will enable the partnership to deliver about 40% of its draft action plan through this one funding route, and will ensure that significant progress is made in the next few years. The Liveability Fund project proposals are here.

In November 2004 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded £1.3m to help regenerate the town and preserve its unique industrial character. An additional £25,000 in development funding has been awarded to complete the planning process. This is part of a wider £2.6m scheme administered by High Peak Borough Council and, pending the success of a second application with more detailed plans, the HLF money will fund conservation works in the town centre, especially the repair and re-use of the town's historic mill buildings, and the reinstatement of original 1800s architectural features to the Victorian Market Hall and High Street shop fronts.

Glossop Vision Programme Manager Sarah Parkin started in March 2004. Sarah, who is employed by the borough council, will act as dedicated project manager to help drive forward projects in the action plan and funded by Liveability. Sarah can be contacted on 0845 129 7777 x 3523 or you can email sarahparkin@highpeak.gov.uk

The partnership has over 100 members and is open to anyone with a passion, drive and interest in supporting the regeneration of Glossop. New partners and ideas are always welcome.

To promote Glossop as a locally distinctive shopping and leisure attraction.

Key aims are:

1. To promote Glossop as a locally distinctive shopping and leisure destination.
2. To improve communication and co-operation between stakeholders in the town centre.
3. To improve the physical environment.
4. To improve safety, security and accessibility.
5. To promote pride in Glossop.
6. To improve the range of shopping and leisure facilities.
7. To prepare a 3-5 year business plan setting out the practical actions needed to achieve the above.
8. To raise the funds necessary to implement the business plan.
9. To appoint a Town Centre Manager.
10. To monitor performance against the targets set in the business plan.

Glossop won a Silver Medal at the East Midlands in Bloom awards held at Dronfield in September 2004.

Details here.

• Anyone interested in getting involved should telephone Viv Grosvenor on 0845 129 7777 x 3522 or email VivienG@highpeak.gov.uk.

High Peak Borough Council helps support the promotion of events and activities in Glossop through their inclusion in the Peak District What’s On Guide produced quarterly. Copies are available free of charge from Glossop Tourist Information Centre, or you can search for all events on the official Peak District web site at www.visitpeakdistrict.com and select what’s on.

The partnership would welcome ideas for other events and activities to help promote Glossop throughout the year.

The large mill buildings, which form an important part of Glossop's heritage, are seen as a key town centre issue in the Glossop Vision Health Check.

Most partners believe that new uses should be promoted for the mills that help to enhance town centre facilities and also support existing businesses.

High Peak Borough Council has endorsed these views and is trying to promote and enable appropriate conversions of Wren Nest Mills and Howard Town Mills.

Both sites have been identified as 'Regeneration Areas' in the Deposit Draft High Peak Local Plan.

In the case of Howard Town Mills the council commissioned a report from leading development consultants, Building Design Partnership. The study looks at development options for the mills and surrounding land. It concludes that the mills can be successfully converted to a range of uses including housing, workspace, leisure and shops that would benefit the town centre as a whole.

At the moment High Peak Borough Council is providing core funding for the work of the partnership.

However the success of the partnership will ultimately depend on how successful it is at attracting private sector funding to complement the available public sector funding.

Membership of the Glossop Town Centre Partnership is open to any person, business or organisation that has a heart for Glossop and is willing to work with other partners to help achieve the vision and aims.

We would particularly like more representation from national retailers, banks and building societies and small traders.

At the moment membership is free and details of meeting dates can be obtained from Sarah Parkin or Paul Armstrong on 0845 129 7777 x 3523.

Three new Glossop Town Partnership notice boards have been placed in key positions in the town centre - in the Market Arcade and near to the Municipal Buildings car park.

This was in response to a request from a local trader who thought it would be a good idea to have some notice boards to enable local traders and businesses to promote themselves and their events in a tidy manner.

These boards belong to the partnership and are available for all to promote their activities.

The boards are enclosed in a glass case and access is by key to avoid uncontrolled use. Please contact Sarah Parkin on 0845 129 7777 x 35239 if you wish to place something on the notice boards.

Keith Bate, who represents local residents on the partnership, has compiled a photographic record of the shops in Glossop and the people who worked in them early in the new millennium. You can see the photographs here.

The Glossop Visitor's Guide is available from Glossop Tourist Information Centre or by telephoning the Economic Development Team on 0845 129 7777 x 3523.

You can order a copy of the Peak District and Derbyshire Visitor Guide here.

The partnership and High Peak Borough Council are working with the Police and local licensees to reduce violence in Glossop town centre. The aim is to expand the award-winning Safer Pubs and Clubs Scheme to Glossop.

The scheme was set up in the Derbyshire Dales and in the High Peak in February 2000 and it has been piloted successfully in Buxton and Matlock. It seeks to reduce violent crime and fear of violence, and to reduce alcohol-related injuries in and within the vicinity of licensed premises. In Glossop this will be expanded to include fast-food outlets.

Licensees who successfully comply with the requirements of the scheme will ultimately be awarded a Safer Pubs and Clubs accreditation for display on the premises.

The partnership feels strongly that young people have an important role to play in helping to shape the future of Glossop. Glossop Vision has involved a number of Glossop's schools in the HealthCheck and we are working on establishing links between the schools, Glossop Volunteer Bureau and the Town Partnership.