Things are getting better but we need vision and a plan for our towns and villages across the country.

Brendan O'Connor wrote a strong article in the Sunday independent over the weekend, titled “Why are we so afraid to speak of recovery." In the article he summarises conclusively that the statistical data available clearly indicates that things are getting better:

• 20,000 more people working than 6 months ago

• Unemployment down 17% in the last year

• Pay up generally 2% but up to 10% in some sectors

• Retail sales up 10%

• New cars up 48% year on year

• Foreign trips by Irish people +14%

• Home improvements spend by families +32%

There is indisputable evidence that things are improving, but I would still argue that the upturn has centred around Dublin and Leinster in the main - the national picture is more complicated.

Tourism figures are very strong with most sectors showing 10% increases year-on-year, and anyone who is fortunate to have a business along the Wild Atlantic Way will tell you it's working, and that things are good.

The dollar rate against the euro makes it a very affordable for Americans to visit here. I read in Saturday's Irish Examiner that coach tours were up by 26%.

We are reluctant to shout about the improvements because many of us are afraid to believe it, we're still scarred from the effects of the last crash which is still very present in many of our minds - and still affecting families right across the country. We don’t want to talk ourselves into another boom, because another painful bust can always be around the corner...

So good for Leinster and the south and west - but many towns in the midlands continue to suffer badly.

Retail is still struggling in many of our towns. We have been on the road all year with our “Winning Back the High Street” campaign and I can clearly see things are getting better. I was blown away by the spirit of the commercial businesses and the people in Westport about a month ago, and Killarney last weekend was clearly doing really well. Athlone some 12 weeks ago was also impressive.

Two things struck be about the buoyant vibrant towns that I have visited. First is the people, and the second is the plan.

Being one of the people who try to make town main streets better is often a thankless task, you can be seen as some sort of tyrant who wants to fight with town councils and with traders on other streets and force individual businesses to part with their hard earned cash to fund fanciful campaigns that won’t bring more business in to the town.

It’s not for the faint hearted, and often local chambers or business groups need new thinking but won’t attract new people because the same old tired faces have been doing it their way for decades.

When the right group of people come together with the right vision the effect can be really powerful and positive. For anyone with an interest in this area, our chat with Westport's 'town architect' Simon Wall profiles how a vision, and a coherent plan can turn a town around.

The wild Atlantic Way campaign is a great example of joined-up thinking, where the sum of the parts is greater than any individual component.

Towns need to focus on the assets they have and how these can be exploited for the greater gain of everyone in the town or village. This is why a “Town Plan” is so important.

The 'vision' of the town can be debated with all the interested parties, and fashioned into a clear action-orientated plan that can be rolled out for the benefit of everyone living in the town, not just the traders.

One of the key mistakes many towns make is thinking that it is only about retail. The successful towns that I see as I travel around the country have:

• A well organised business group of committed people

• A written vision and plan for the town or village

• Buy-in and active participation from the local council

• Groups such as residents, retailers, hotels, pubs & restaurants, festival organisers are all actively involved

• A sense of pride in the town or village - where people genuinely try to spend their money locally

So, to paraphrase JKF, it's about “what can you do” to ensure the survival and future of your town or village. We all have a part to play. Get stuck in.

Winning Back the High Street coming to your town soon,

Bobby