Insider Media Limited

Stratford entrepreneur Denys Shortt has founded a new organisation aimed at improving the town's tourism, transport and housing provisions.

Shortt, whose company DCS employs 250 people in Stratford, has recruited Vikki Heywood of the RSC, Will Hanrahan of FirstlookTV and Dr Diana Owen of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to the Stratford Vision organisation.

Stratford Vision has also been supported by Stratford District Council, the lobby groups Stratford Society and Stratforward, Mark Hasleden – chair of the Local Plan group – and Coventry Airpoert owner Sir Peter Rigby.

Shortt, who also chairs the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, said: "It has long been acknowledged that our transport system, tourism strategy, housing provision and plans for growth within the district need to be improved and with a sense of urgency.

"But cash shortages, competing interests and a lack of real, agreed clarity about what we need and want has slowed down the community's achievements.

"Stratford Vision intends to apply business methods to make change happen. That change will be made with the support of a wide-range of groups – it is change by consensus that we seek - but change with purpose."

Shortt said the group had already claimed success by getting Network Rail to agree to refurbish the town's railway station.

"Network Rail have promised to make changes soon and we'll be on their case if they don't do it soon enough. No business would pay for a poor service, the citizens of our District should not either," he said.

Statford Vision will be launched this week by MP Nadhim Zahawi.