Case Study: Edenbridge, Kent

The River Eden meanders through the Eden Valley in the heart of Kent. On either side of the river lies tranquil farmland, broken by quiet country lanes, whilst the rolling hills and woodland conceal a wealth of historic properties and beautiful gardens.

With a long and distinguished history Edenbridge has always had a draw for visitors, however more recent times have not been kind to the area.

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Need for the project

Whilst industry blossomed in the 15th and 16th centuries, particularly leather, charcoal and agriculture, by the 17th century this was already in decline. The area remained in depression until the start of the 20th century, when London overspill bought industry and housing, however this did not affect the downturn in agriculture in the area. Although certain tourist honey pots have sprung up, rural businesses in general are struggling, particularly those upon which the communities depend.

A further complication has been the reduction of the tourism provision by the local authority and who decided to close the Edenbridge Tourism Information Centre at the end of September 2004. The other tourist information centre nearby (at Clacket Lane on the M25) has also closed.

Edenbridge as the focal hub of the area undertook the Countryside Agency’s Market Town’s Healthcheck in 2004. The major theme that returned form the consultation was the dissatisfaction with the local economy and opportunities, and the realisation that tourism and visitor input is a realistic path to rejuvenate the area.

The project aims to address this need and to provide a holistic tourism initiative, with an emphasis on not only drawing visitors in, but also providing information and interpretation once they arrive. A key element of the project is to develop a self-sustaining framework encouraging communication and partnership working between the tourism stakeholders of the area and those in a position to deliver actual work.

Planning the Project

In order to take projects forward a local partnership was formed, comprising representatives from; Edenbridge Town Council, Chamber of Commerce and local residents.

In the spring of 2005, Hidden Britain attended a meeting of the Edenbridge Town Forum to explain how they could assist in achieving the tourism objectives of the Healthcheck.

It was quickly determined that the project needed to focus on the wider area of the Eden Valley in total rather than just the town of Edenbridge. This is in the main because although Edenbridge itself is the service centre of the area, the majority of attractions, activities and accommodation lie outside the town, therefore there is much more strength in marketing the area as a whole as it is a more enticing and complete package. In addition this will also spread the benefit to the communities and businesses of the wider area.

Eden Valley is defined as the geographical area that spreads roughly from Haxted in the West, Cowden in the South, Leigh in the East and Ide Hill to the North. This area corresponds roughly to the TN28 postcode.

Research was gathered using, community workshops and tourism stakeholder meetings to augment the Healthcheck data. From this base data the Edenbridge Hidden Britain group developed an action plan of tourism projects. With the advice and support of the Project Development Officer from Hidden Britain, the group was able to turn this action plan into achievable objectives by securing funding.

In February of 2006 Defra kindly agreed a grant of £46000 to Edenbridge Town Council for undertaking the project.

Project Outputs :

A series of local walks guides (download)

Tear-off map pads of the area (download)

An Eden Valley guidebook (download)

A redesigned visitor website at www.edenvalleykent.org

Promotional Beermats (download)

An Eden Valley Tourism Forum

Implementing the Project

The Eden Valley has been working extremely successfully with Hidden Britain for the last 18 months. Initially, the Eden Valley Tourism Initiative was formed with local stakeholders – large and small attractions, local businesses, B&B’s, amongst others – and these have provided useful contacts and encouraged different sectors to work together for the area’s benefit. It began hosting forums and as a result of the first forum, a consultation was carried out for a valley logo. Under this branding, tear off maps and local walks leaflets have been developed, with local volunteers testing the walks. A visitor website has been created, with an accompanying guide book, and promotional beer mats distributed.

The project has drawn together many local groups and individuals and the outcomes of their endeavours have been very well received – particularly the maps and walks. Participants in the project have acquired a number of computer skills and tourism knowledge. This has been an exciting process for those involved.

The initiative has helped establish excellent working relationships with the surrounding big attractions, smaller tourism stakeholders, local government, and the community which are proving very useful, and the Hidden Britain project has boosted the area’s profile enormously.

Local Benefits:

In terms of tourism the project has delivered Edenbridge a complete visitor package. The area now has the basic tools to really market itself as a destination. By placing a real emphasis on partnership working between and within both the public and private sectors in the area, the initiative has developed a robust network of contacts and support. With Edenbridge Town Council at its heart, supporting the Hidden Britain group, there is a real chance for sustainability of this initiative.

The benefits of course, as with any tourism project will in the main be to local businesses, but in this case the knock-on effects can really deliver benefits for those living in the area as well. Increased visitor usage can have a revitalising effect, and can encourage investment; time will tell whether this initiative has made those sorts of gains. What can be seen already is the interaction and communication between businesses, working together to market themselves as a unified group for greater effect.

The level of volunteer input and support should not be overlooked, local people have been involved throughout the project, and have all given their views and input. In return they have gained key skills in tourism, IT and project management. As such this project has delivered real community benefit and will only continue to do so as the initiative develops in the future.