A FORWARD-thinking group in Bradford on Avon is planning a new IT initiative aimed at bringing local people back into the heart of the town to work.

The Bradford on Avon and District Community Development Trust wants IT companies to invest more in that area, so people who would move away to work will stay and their success will be ploughed back into the local community.

The trust recently elected a new chairman, Gerald Milward-Oliver, who will shortly be contacting IT companies to assess their interest in the scheme.

Mr Milward-Oliver said: "We have been looking for a while at extending IT learning in the community. We need to make sure there is enough high value employment in Bradford, and it needs to be the sort of work that adds value to the town itself."

Currently Bradford has a high proportion of elderly residents, and commuters, and Mr Milward-Oliver said it was important to expand the age bracket in between.

He said: "We need to make sure there is a better balance here.

"The Trust has done a lot of work at St Laurence School and we can see how well they do here, and then move away for further education.

"If we can encourage them to bring their skills back to the town, they are repaying the investment the town has made in their schooling, and if that's going to work, then the IT infrastructure and provision in the town is crucial."

The Development Trust is made up of representatives from community groups around the town and local area, and was formed to focus on community projects that would benefit the town.

The work of the trust is still being done on a voluntary basis, but Mr Milward-Oliver hopes they will soon have some money to put towards the schemes.

He said: "All the projects we work on require a huge investment of time, but once we have some schemes clearly laid out I am confident we will get financial backing to hire someone who can keep the pressure up and give schemes like this IT initiative momentum."