East of England
The East of England living places partnership is chaired by Sue Hughes, MLA.
Contact the partnership through: susan.hughes@mla.gov.uk
About the Region
The East of England region comprises the counties Norfolk and Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire. Directly to the north of London, the region has much unspoilt character, rural landscapes, architecture and traditions.
The Thames Gateway is a priority place within the region.
For more information and facts see the Government Office for the East of England website.
Case Studies
Bata Reminiscence and Resource Centre
What?
- The Bata Reminiscence and Resource Centre is a self-funding organisation set up to collect the memories of people who have lived and worked within the British Bata Community at East Tilbury in Essex over the past 70 years
- The Centre hosts a collection of photographs, recorded and written memories, copies of the Bata Record Newspaper and other items from the community
When?
- The site was designated a Conservation Area in 1993
- The Centre formally opened in 2002
How?
- the BATA 70 years ago
© Bata Shoe Company, Canada
- The Centre was a community driven project resulting from local enthusiasts’ dedication to preserve the area’s memories and history, with the support of the wider community
- In April 1993 the Estate and Factory became designated as a Conservation Area with strict controls on building alterations and development
- The Bata Reminiscence and Resource Centre was opened in April 2002 by Mrs Sheila Plampton who was the first baby born on the Bata Estate
- The £3.5 million project involved funding and support from a number of sources including the MLA East of England, East of England Development Agency, Heritage Lottery Fund, and Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation
- The centre was expanded with the refurbishment of the library in 2007
Summary
- Since the library opened it has topped the league of libraries of a similar size in Essex for visitor and issue figures. Visitor figures for the first quarter rose from 7000 in 2005/6 to 11500 in 2006/07
- The number of young users, bucking the national trend: 31 children’s books are issued each hour compared to an average of 17 in similar libraries in Essex
Access practical advice and guidance in relation to living places programmes and the benefits.
living places has drawn together a number of case studies demonstrating successful programmes and the benefits.
© living places