BALLYMENA BC

Ballymena owns and manages a diverse range of assets in the town centre and these are playing an important role in attracting visitors, contributing to the local economy and marketing Ballymena as an investment location.

The town's core local authority asset is the historic Braid Town Hall, a mixed use museum, arts venue and council services hub, which has been at the centre of civic life since the 1600s.

Other local government assets with a strong strategic value are Ballymena's visitor and conference centre, set in 150 acres of sustainable parkland and Ballymena Showgrounds and Football Stadium.

The number of tourist trips to Ballymena increased by 12% between 2007 and 2009. The location of attractive local authority assets in the town centre has enabled the council and partners to develop cultural events such as an annual Music and Arts Festival, with 25,000 visitors.

These town centre assets also mean a significant number of accessible jobs for local residents. The council spends some £6.1m annually on salaries, just over £4.1m of which goes to around 67% employees who are resident in Ballymena, creating a strong multiplier impact on the local economy.

Distinctive local authority assets are helping create focal points in a regeneration plan that features £4m investment in public realm improvements, including bespoke public lighting and street furniture.

Previous capital work has resulted in contracts worth some £400k for local businesses.  Local authority assets form a key part of the Town Centre Development Strategy developed by Ballymena Town Centre Development Limited, a body which brings retailers and the council together to raise resources for town centre improvement.

An emerging Business Improvement District is aimed at economic development in the wider villages that make up the borough as well as its main town. The Northern Ireland Regional Development Strategy also recognises Ballymena's contribution to wider regional and national economic performance.

NEATH PORT TALBOT CBC

Neath Port Talbot's Property Asset Management Plan recognises the economic, social and environmental value of its assets, which total £410m (excluding housing) and encompass 65 leisure properties and 26 administrative buildings.

Civic centres are situated at the heart of both Neath and Port Talbot town centres.
Renovation of the local authority owned Gwyn Hall cultural centre in Neath created high quality theatre, 3D cinema, conference and meeting space and attracted 95,000 users in a single year.

Refurbishment of Victoria Gardens, an attractive open space linking Neath town centre with other parts of the town, has involved new landscaping, trails and seating. Port Talbot has a local authority owned theatre and arts venue and its civic centre also provides space for the police, community safety work and tourist information.

The council's plan recognises both the strategic benefit of these assets and the potential to make efficiency savings through effective asset management.

It identifies a role for council assets in; regenerating town centres and coastal areas; supporting urban improvement; supporting a positive place-shaping agenda; and improving office efficiency to enable staff to be more productive in delivering services.

The two civic centres bring economic benefits to the local economy as a result of each employing around 320 people, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that around 90% of these people live within the borough.

Previous work undertaken by Centre for Local Economic Strategies and Association for Public Service Excellence has suggested local authority employees plough 55p in every £1 earned back in the local economy where they live.

Working on an assumption that on average a local authority worker is paid £28,000 a year, this means £4.4m spending annually is generated for Neath Port Talbot's local economy.

Effective use of local authority assets has also helped in the development of relationships across the borough's commercial and voluntary and community sectors.