Fleet Forward  

Fleet Forward is the town’s management team that aims to improve the viability and vitality of Fleet for all people and companies that either work in the town or visit it for shopping or other activities. The group works with the Fleet Town Centre Manager, Paul Doughty, to inform and direct his activities.

Fleet Forward was formed just over a year ago as a partnership between Hart District Council and representatives of businesses and groups with an interest in the town and its future. It comprises individuals representing different groups of stakeholders; the groups include independent and national retailers, non-retail businesses, pubs and restaurants, community service organizations and the authorities such as county and district councillors and council officers.

Fleet Forward seeks to provide a broad platform of opinion with the aim of gaining consensus on the way forward for Fleet.

Members of Fleet Forward are volunteers and the group has an approved constitution and membership base to ensure that it remains broadly representative of all stakeholders. The group generally meets monthly to discuss the activities of the previous month and review on-going plans.  

Fleet Forward’s activities include promoting the town through organising occasional markets, liaising with local groups and the authorities in support of local events and initiatives and organising the town’s Christmas light decorations.  

The Fleet Town Centre Manager is wholly funded by Hart District Council on a part-time basis. This makes Fleet Forward different from many town and city partnerships across the UK that tend to be funded by a mixture of public and private funding.

Fleet is currently part of an area in Hart that does not have a local parish or town council but this will change in May 2010 when elections will be held to form one.

Fleet Forward will shortly launch its own website that can be accessed from a link on this page when it goes live.