ALTON Town Council is coming under growing pressure to appoint a town development manager.

It is one of the key policies in Alton’s emerging neighbourhood plan, designed to enhance the economic sustainability and viability of the town which highlights the need to “work with interested parties to establish a town centre management function in order to market and promote the town to attract visitors and new business”.

Such a role is also needed, it says, to “co-ordinate leisure, entertainment and cultural events, encourage town centre businesses to work together to enhance the overall retail offering, engage with tourism and hospitality providers to create a positive visitor experience, and work with local authorities to provide an attractive, clean, safe environment for visitors and residents and to ensure effective visitor infrastructure”.

The need for a town development manager was highlighted also by former district councillor Nicholas Branch in his manifesto when campaigning to retain his seat as an independent councillor on East Hampshire District Council.

While Mr Branch was pipped to the post in the May election, he remains adamant that the appointment of a town development manager should be a priority.

He points out that it was the key item in Alton Town Council’s original wish-list for spending the £1m promised to the town in 2010 by Tesco, should it build a new store on Mill Lane.

Writing on the Anstey Residents’ Group website, he continued: “I have been beefing about it ever since: why, oh why, has nothing been done to implement this action point?

“Surely, all rural towns need to make themselves attractive and competitive to incomers of all sorts – commercial/industrial, retailers, tourists, shoppers and residents?”

And last Wednesday representatives of the Alton Society and Alton and District Residents’ Association, embracing Anstey Residents’ Group, attended the town council’s planning and transportation committee to lobby councillors to focus on the sourcing and funding of a town development manager.

The decision to do so was taken at an Alton and District Residents’ Association meeting on October 20, when it was agreed there was a pressing need to appoint “someone at executive level who could engage with and attract retail and business to invest in the town’s future”.

Members recognised that the town is currently in a “very competitive business environment with many neighbouring towns vying for investment” and that there was “a real danger of Alton being left behind and missing out on funding and expertise available from East Hampshire District Council”.

As such, Alton Society chairman and Alton and District Residents’ Association member Bob Booker and Anstey Residents’ Group chairman Tony Souter had meetings with district council leader Ferris Cowper and Alton town clerk Leah Coney to discuss the matter, before putting the question to the town council’s planning committee.

In response, following a meeting with Mr Cowper during which they had “a very constructive dialogue considering the current position of Alton”, part of which focused on the creation of a business development manager role within the town council, Mrs Coney issued the following statement: “Councillor Cowper is very supportive of the Alton Neighbourhood Plan process and has generously offered his assistance in facilitating the delivery of the action points centred around economic development of the town. This includes potential funding for a development manager as part of a wider initiative looking at the vitality of Alton, which he is keen to pursue.

“He is, however, aware of the efforts of our MP, Damian Hinds, and his taskforce focused on business in the town and would want to understand the outcomes from this piece of work before proceeding.”

She added: “Councillor Cowper’s team at the district council have a real depth of knowledge and expertise in this area, having worked on the Bordon and Whitehill Regeneration Initiative, and having those resources made available to Alton is extremely encouraging.”