THE provision of a cinema, better public toilets, a meeting place for young people, more affordable housing and litter reduction have been identified in the Farnham Healthcheck as the public's top five priorities. The Healthcheck exercise has given the local community an opportunity to identify some key issues and suggest how those could be addressed to ensure that the future of Farnham fits with what people expect from their town. The priorities emerged from a series of road shows held during February as part of a lengthy consultation. The idea behind the Healthcheck exercise is to help Farnham sustain as a viable market town serving a wider community. There are three distinct elements to the process. First is the gathering of data using worksheets designed by the Countryside Agency, completed questionnaires filled in by the general public and statistical data to indicate Farnham's current situation. Second is the creation and endorsement of a shared vision for the future of the town. Third is the creation of an action plan to implement the projects, which are identified during the Healthcheck process. Projects will be designed to help meet the Healthcheck "vision", which states: "We want Farnham to become a vibrant and welcoming place for everyone to live and work in. "This means: • Protecting the best of the old while encouraging the best of the new; • Creating a safe and accessible environment; • Responding positively and imaginatively to the changing needs of all age groups, particularly our youth and the elderly; • Strengthening the local economy by using the town's many attractions to best advantage; • Tackling problems quickly and effectively." The Healthcheck report is currently being drafted and will be made available to the public after its launch on April 28 on the Farnham Town Council website, at the library, museum and town council offices. The Farnham Healthcheck steering group will now develop to become a partnership group with representatives from Farnham Town Council, Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council. In addition, Farnham Town Council will be appointing an action plan officer, whose job will be to develop the action plan into a project.



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