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The Totnes & District Community Plan (continued)

3.0 An Analysis of Totnes, 4.0 Projects & 5.0 Next Steps

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3.0 AN ANALYSIS OF TOTNES

As part of the work carried out by ADG in the re-working of the Totnes & District Community Plan, we have produced an analysis of the physical issues affecting the use of Totnes by its residents, workers and visitors. This section illustrates the analysis work and looks at ways in which some of the issues could be tackled.

3.1 Analysis of Issues

Very few of the issues identified had been addressed within the project proposals in the original plan. The following text therefore expands on some of the issues and starts to make suggestions for project ideas (this is further expanded within section 3.4 of this Plan):

Issues 1 and 8 – The inaccessibility of High Street / Fore Street and the poor pedestrian links between the Station and the Town Centre could be addressed through linked initiatives. The ‘Bob the Bus’ scheme that already exists is an excellent service; this could possibly be extended to be scheduled to pick up tourists upon arrival at the Train station. Visitors could be given a quick tour of the town before being dropped at their accommodation. The inaccessibility of the main shopping area could be addressed by running ‘Bob the Bus’ / a road train on a circular route picking up the car parks to the South of the town and linking the Plains to the historical core.

Issue 2 - The Tourist Information Centre ideally needs to be located more centrally within either High Street or Fore Street. A project idea could be to find a suitable alternative location within the Town Centre. An alternative project idea would be to retain the TIC location but greatly improve signage to it within the town.

Issue 3 – Totnes has a lot to offer as a heritage destination. However, when you have arrived in the Town Centre, you are no longer aware of key sites such as the Castle and Guildhall. Totnes would benefit from improved visitor orientation and historical interpretation; by showing the visitor what is on offer they are more likely to stay longer and spend more.

Issue 6 – The River Link service which operates between Dartmouth and Totnes is a great tourist facility. However, the River is under exploited in terms of its use for public transport. A project idea could be to develop a transport scheme in the form of either a river bus or water taxi.

The above project ideas are just the potential starting point; all aspects of their feasibility will need to be assessed if they are to be taken forward by the community.

3.3 Current/Proposed Developments

3.4 Project Ideas

Have you thought about...

Project Idea: A Market at Steamer Quay

Issue
300,000 visitors a year currently pass through Steamer Quay. A large proportion of them will not venture further into Totnes. There is therefore an opportunity to tap into this potential source of revenue.

Solution
If the visitors will not come to the town centre, why not bring the town centre to Steamer Quay? A market could be held at Steamer Quay on the busier days during the summer season - perhaps a clothes market on a Wednesday and a gifts market on a Saturday, held by the shop owners and traders.

Project Idea: A Road Train

Issue
Our analysis shows that Totnes functions poorly in terms of pedestrian accessibility. Both in terms of link between public transport and the town centre and in terms of the natural topography being inherently inaccessible.

Solution
Bob the Bus is already a valuable asset to the town. Could this system, or something similar, be extended to pick-up visitors from the train station from certain key train services and provide a quick tour of the town before delivering them to their accommodation? Could a road train operate on a circular route along High Street/Fore Street and then through the southern area, taking in each of the main car parks?

Project Idea: Marketing Totnes

Issue
Totnes is a vibrant town with a lot to offer. Currently there is a lack of joined up thinking between the different sectors of the business community with the common agenda of improving their trade within Totnes.

Solution
The town and business community could develop a marketing strategy for the good of the whole town. Creating a coordinated approach between town centre businesses, transport providers, tourist destinations and accommodation providers.

Project Idea: A new T.I.C for Totnes

Issue
The Tourist Information Centre ideally needs to be located centrally within the town in order to operate effectively as a marketing tool.

Solution
One project idea could be to look for an alternative location for the T.I.C within High Street/Fore Street. Alternatively, the T.I.C could remain in its current location and a project could be to improve the visitor maps and signage within the town.

Project Idea: An improved visitor experience

Issue
The visitor orientation within Totnes is currently poor. By providing better maps and signage, it has been proven that visitors will stay longer, explore further and spend more! There is currently no comprehensive events diary for Totnes, and yet the community is extremely active and there is a lot going on.

Solution
A project idea that could be taken forward would be to develop an identity for Totnes to be used in a new wayfinding system. An events diary could be produced in both printed and web based formats to celebrate and publicise local events.

Project Idea: Bringing new uses to the redundant buildings of Totnes

Issue
There are a number of redundant buildings in Totnes that could be used to provide locations for the many community needs such as creative industries starter units or affordable accommodation.

Solution
A project idea could be to identify the redundant and unused buildings in Totnes. The potential of these buildings could be assessed against the needs identified by the strategy groups within the T&DCP.

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4.0 PROJECTS

4.1 Existing Projects

Totnes Caring

Totnes Caring is a volunteer group offering help and assistance to the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged with the aim of enabling people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. It was set up in 1987 by doctors in the town to provide extra assistance for their patients. In 1989 it became involved with the Closer to Home project, which enabled it to grow to its present size.

One of the main aspirations of the organisation is to see the provision of an Extra Care Housing Unit in every town in the South Hams District. Extra Care Housing is a housing scheme with a residential care team attached giving 24-hour available care. Residents still have a separate flat to live in but are supported by a care team who help with getting meals, hair and feet care, filling forms etc. Elements of support and independence are all rolled into one providing a holistic service of social as well as medical care, and importantly, the scheme avoids the premature placement of elderly people into nursing homes. Usually Extra Care Housing consist of 40-50 units per site with a mix of people - 1/3 retired; 1/3 semi-dependent (those not quite able to look after themselves), a 1/3 highly dependent on care services on a daily basis. An Extra Care Housing unit exists in Ivybridge, but no such provision has yet been built in Totnes.

The Cycleau Project

Cycleau is a network of partner organisations based in S W England, N W France and the Republic of Ireland. The Cycleau project takes an innovative perspective by integrating resource planning and management in the coastal zone with that of the river catchment as a whole. Until now there has been no common approach to this issue, even though it is a widespread problem in coastal areas. Many of Europe’s coastal zones face problems of deterioration of their resources.

The Project will to produce a methodology that can be used as a blueprint by communities wishing to use best practice in environmental management and look after their own water environments. It receives a 50% grant from the European Union’s INTERREG IIIB programme until December 2006, with others funding the remainder.

The Dart Catchment - Devon Wildlife Trust is a partner in Cycleau and a ‘Theme Leader’ on Stakeholder and Public Participation within Cycleau. It has responded by launching the Dart Catchment Project, which is a pilot project being used to evaluate the effectiveness of a catchment-wide approach to environmental management and develop a process methodology for stakeholder and public participation. The Trust will use the results from the pilot project to inform the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in England and Wales.

The Project is non-statutory and works with many people who are responsible for the future of the catchment area – members of the public, communities, as well as both non-statutory and statutory organisations, all working in a partnership to secure the future well being of the catchment as a whole. To help achieve this the Project has been broken down into seven distinct themes:

• Joined-up thinking and political support.
• Research and understanding.
• Local community, business and the wider economy.
• Education and awareness.
• Agriculture and land management.
• Water quality, habitats and species.
• Recreation, access and tourism.

As a Cycleau Theme Leader, Devon Wildlife Trust run a number of outreach events to engage and involve local people with the Dart Catchment Project:

• The Dart Water Festival – with its venue at Longmarsh, near Steamer Quay in Totnes, has included recitals by local poets and writers as well as marquees with a selection of producers and exhibitors including local food and drink producers, artists, photographers and craftspeople.
• Satellite Projects – ‘Fantastic creatures of the Dart', building giant versions of dragonflies, bats and salmon. ‘ H2O Orchestra of enthusiastic amateurs’ – rehearsing a unique adaptation of Handel’s Water Music.
• Recruiting and training volunteers to help survey habitat for spawning and young salmon on Dartmoor.
• Celebrity art auctions.

It also has an interactive website designed to capture a wider audience of participants and volunteers in a variety of projects : www.devonwildlifetrust.org

Devon Artsculture ideas initiated by the TDCSG

Devon Artsculture is a dynamic and creative arts development programme offering visibility, opportunity and growth for creative practitioners working throughout the rural areas of Devon. It aims to have real impact for artists, musicians and those in the craft sector by providing:

• Business support and development.
• Promoting economic development and regeneration through the arts.
• Improved business, marketing, publicity and information and computer technology skills.
• Developing a website to assist the programme.
• Provide links with industry
• Work with other local and regional initiatives to provide creative support where it is needed.

Its main partners are Devon County Council, Dartington Plus and Beaford Arts, with support from the Arts Council. It is funded by the partners along with the European Development Fund.

Who is eligible? – Everyone involved in the creative arts who lives and works in the qualifying areas of North Devon, Torridge, West Devon and the South Hams can apply for support through the Initiative.

Design Our Space

A ground-breaking Partnership Project established between the community (Design Our Space) and South Hams District Council to produce a plan for the development of the southern area of Totnes for the benefit of the community and its neighbourhood. The project developed through widespread community consultation to deliver affordable housing, market space, car parking and public open space. This very successful project has moved from planning stage to implementation and incorporate many innovative ideas and positive solutions to the issues surrounding this area.

The project to date has captured the community and demonstrated the positive outcomes which can be achieved through partnership working.

4.2 Community Plan Projects

Major Public Realm Projects

ISSUE:
Totnes has 412 Listed Buildings within the Conservation Area alone, many of these buildings are in private ownership and a number are in need of care and repair. Totnes’s reputation as a nationally important visitor attraction is due in large part to the historical importance of its built environment; this historical legacy is a valuable asset to the community, but needs management and protection.

South Hams District Council has recently taken the first step in this task by commissioning a Conservation Area Appraisal. This sets a framework for further work in preserving and enhancing this important asset but this is only the first step.

PROJECT
To build upon the information contained within the Conservation Area Appraisal and to draw up a management plan for the historic buildings and environment of Totnes. The management plan will specify a programme of environmental and conservation projects, build partnerships between the public and private sectors and seek new and innovative ways to ensure that the community as a whole benefits from this important asset.

ACTIONS
• Bring together groups and individuals from the community interested in Heritage and set up a steering group for the project, ensuring that the owner’s of the Listed Buildings are involved in the process.
• Identify ways of including groups and individuals who are not normally involved with the Historic environment to ensure that the resulting management plan represents the views of the community as a whole.
• Identify Partners - South Hams District Council, Devon County Council etc.
• Seek help and support from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery fund in drawing up the plan.

Public Realm Project:

ISSUE
Despite the wonderful buildings, which form Fore Street and the High Street, the experience of walking through the town is often not pleasant. The roads and pavements are congested, access is difficult and the quality of pavements, roads and street furniture is poor.

PROJECT
Totnes Fore Street, High Street enhancement and Traffic Calming. An enormous amount of work by the community, through the Totnes Traffic and Transport Group, working in partnership with Devon County Council, has resulted in a comprehensive package of proposals to improve the environment of these important areas within the town. These proposals include reducing the number of vehicles passing through Fore Street, providing loading and unloading areas, disabled parking areas, improved access for pedestrians, wheelchairs, push chairs and cyclists. This project is ready to move forward into implementation but has yet to achieve funding. This project is an essential element of this Plan, and links closely with many other projects seeking to make environmental improvements, which will not only benefit the community but also have economic benefits associated with enhancing the visitor’s experience of Totnes.

ACTIONS
• Secure funding for the project
• Agree planning and delivery stages and mechanism with Statutory Authorities and consultants.

Public Realm Projects

ISSUE
The Community of Totnes has identified the need for a high quality venue within the heart of the town to provide for public meetings, exhibitions and performances. The existing Civic Hall is a maintenance liability, which does not offer facilities of an appropriate standard and does not reflect the character and culture of the community in the 21st Century.

PROJECT
The redevelopment and regeneration of the Civic Hall and Market Square. The current Civic Hall is leased from South Hams District Council By Totnes Town Council. The maintenance costs for the building are very high, the building is becoming obsolete in that it cannot readily provide the standard and variety of accommodation required from a community building of this sort in the 21st Century also access to the building is difficult. The site of the Civic Hall, the Market Square and the buildings around it are identified by many as the true heart of Totnes. The existing building has reached a stage when a significant sum of money will need to spent on the fabric just to maintain the status quo; the time is right to begin the long process of considering the future of this site as a whole. Although complex and difficult to achieve, it must be a long-term goal to achieve a comprehensive redevelopment of this part of the town. It is important that all options are examined, including mixed use for the site. With the exciting and positive development taking place in the Southern Area - driven by the community - this area is the obvious next step.

ACTIONS - Initial steps
• Establish a core group of land/building owners to carry out an options appraisal
• Consult stakeholders on findings of options appraisal and determine process for taking the project forward.

Access To Services

ISSUE
Young people in the community do not have adequate access to a range of support services and information. The work has already been done to identify young peoples needs and the next step is to start implementing ‘The Vision’ document produced by Devon Youth Service.

PROJECT
Establishing a multi- agency ‘one stop’ facility for Youth Services in Totnes. The foundations for this work are well established and a 'Vision' document has already been prepared; this sets out not only the detailed evidence of need for this project but also the partnership support for a purpose built youth venue.

ACTIONS
• Publication of the 'Vision' document
• Find suitable site
• Seek funding

Access to Services

ISSUE
Totnes has a very high proportion of elderly people living alone. It is important to ensure that they have access to services, support and care, which enables them to remain independent. Totnes Caring is an important Voluntary Organisation operating to provide just such support, but their current premises are inadequate and, with an increasing demand for their work, there is a need to develop new ideas and projects.

PROJECT
Find new permanent premises to provide an adequate base for the organisation to coordinate its activities, and expand and develop new projects. The new premises would enable associated projects to be developed including the development of a user-friendly website for volunteers and other IT facilities.

ACTIONS
* Look for an appropriate site
* Secure funding

Arts, Heritage and Culture

ISSUE
The Community of Totnes is well known not only for its artistic and cultural heritage but also for the wealth of artists, musicians and crafts people living and working in the area today. This is an important asset for the community and at present its potential as an economic driver is insufficiently acknowledged and developed.

PROJECT
Developing Arts, Heritage, Creative Industries and Cultural Tourism to energise the local economy.

ACTIONS
• Identify partners in business, tourism and heritage sectors
• Set up a core group to examine innovative ways of capitalising on this community asset and looking for potential funding bodies.
• Plan and run a one-day conference to explore the issues and consider solutions.

Public Realm Project

ISSUE
The Rotherfold is an underused public space within the town. Recently, as a result of the public consultation carried out, the space has been revitalised through painting the walls with vibrant colours. Although this is an improvement this area still offers an opportunity for further enhancement and even the possibility for development. This area is an asset to the community and it is important to capitalize on this asset by considering all possibilities.

PROJECT
Rotherfold feasibility Study suggestions have been made in the past about developing part of this site for affordable housing. The potential of this site should be re-examined and a new feasibility study be carried out.

ACTIONS
• Establish a core group to carry out an options appraisal
• Consult stakeholders and carry out feasibility study based on result of options appraisal.

Public Realm Project

ISSUE
Bridgetown Alive! is a successful and focused community group which has already achieved success in funding work within this part of the community. A major issue for the residents of this part of Totnes is the quality of the environment on the major traffic route through Bridgetown, the volume of traffic using that route and the lack of a perceived physical heart for the community. Major community consultation and partnership working has resulted in the production of a comprehensive street enhancement scheme for the area.

PROJECT
Bridgetown Street enhancement scheme, which will improve the physical environment of this area through a redesigned streetscape, creation of a public space outside St. John’s Church and the sensitive use of unifying materials and street furniture.

ACTIONS
• Establish and formalise partnerships,
• Set up a core steering group to manage project,
• Ensure project is compatible with other projects within the town, particularly the Fore Street/High Street proposals,
• Secure funding.

Public Realm Project

ISSUE
There is currently no coordinated approach to the marketing of Totnes. This results in the failure of businesses to capitalise on the number of tourists visiting the area and therefore loss of income across the entire community. The coordination of the marketing of the town, improving the visitor experience and tapping into further markets will be of major economic benefit to the whole community.

PROJECT
Employ a business co-coordinator (town centre manager) to establish and strengthen links between businesses, co-ordinate activity, and develop a marketing strategy.

ACTIONS
• Establish core group of local businesses to manage project,
• Secure funding from local businesses to employ a town centre manager and business coordinator to draw up a marketing strategy for the town.

Quick Win Project

ISSUE
There is a lack of inter-business knowledge within the business community of Totnes and the surrounding area and an inadequate method for bringing those businesses together.

PROJECT
A ‘Business Day’ - a one-day event to which all the businesses in the Totnes area are invited for a networking and skills sharing event. In addition various agencies, providing business support are invited to operate a one-stop shop for businesses seeking help and advice. Outcomes to include a database of local businesses and the identification of their needs.

ACTIONS
• Establish core group of businesses to organise and run event (seek Town Council support),
• Secure funding for event, approximately £1500.

Quick Win Project

ISSUE
Connecting children and young families with the environment is recognised as an important issue by the community of Totnes.

PROJECT

Smithfields Children’s Park and Orchard

The project is to create a community and an educational orchard as a resource for children with young families. The site for the project already exists and it is only the small amount of funding required that is preventing this project from being completed and starting to benefit the community.

ACTIONS
• Secure funding to buy trees, stakes, compost and tools.

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5.0 NEXT STEPS

5.1 What’s Missing?

ISSUE
The future well-being of Totnes as a community is closely linked to the well-being of the communities surrounding the town and identified at the beginning of the Plan. A function of the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative was to identify and strengthen those links. It is acknowledged that, despite the wide consultation that took place to inform this Plan, more work has to be done to further identify the needs and aspirations of those communities. This work should also consider how these communities relate to Totnes as a service provider.

PROJECT
• Further consultation with specific groups and individuals in surrounding parishes.
• Programme review of the Plan so that any issues or projects arising from this consultation can be included in the plan.
• Support the establishment of a Cross Community Group (Parish Council lead?).

5.2 Taking Things Forward

TOOLS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

In order for this Community Action Plan to lead to ‘action’, there needs to be a real commitment to work towards the goals set out by the community. The following recommendations outline ways of taking the plan forward.

RECOMMENDATION 1. Commitment needs to come from a senior level within the statutory authorities i.e. Totnes Town Council, South Hams District Council and Devon County Council, to the principles of the Community Action Plan.

RECOMMENDATION 2. The community needs to define its role as it continues to show an on-going commitment in planning actions and get involved in taking things forward.

RECOMMENDATION 3. Resources are also needed to implement the actions. The key resource will be a Council officer and resident time. In particular the Community action plan needs a ‘champion’ figure to drive actions forward. Also, there is a need to find resources to develop some of the ideas into fuller projects by finding the necessary funding and to develop links and ownership within the community.

RECOMMENDATION 4. Measuring success – a key part of the success of the Community Action Plan will be determined by how much it integrates into other strategies and activities. In particular the Action plan needs to be recognised by the Town and District Councils and linked with the South Hams Community Strategy.

RECOMMENDATION 5. The only way to really see what has been achieved is by building into the Action Plan a mechanism for monitoring progress. This can be done through quarterly reviews undertaken with the Community Strategy Group or other small resident group and an annual review, which can look in more detail at the achievements and barriers and update the Community Action Plan.

5.3 Getting Involved

There are a number of ways that you can get involved in moving the Community Action Plan forward:

• You can attend the Community Forum/Totnes and District Community Strategy Group/Community Action Plan Steering Group meetings.
• If you have a particular interest in one or two specific actions within the Action Plan you can get involved and help make things happen.
• Alternatively, a member may be interested in volunteering in your community or for a local group.

Whatever route you decide to take, in return you will find that you can learn new skills, meet new people and gain a sense of achievement by making things happen and building the community in your area.

If you would like to find out more about the action plans or get involved contact:

Mr Tom Maugham
Chair of Totnes & District Community Strategy Group
Dean Court
Jubilee Road
Totnes TQ9 5BP
Tel: 01813 865175
Fax: 01803 868765
Email: tommaughan@southdevon.org

5.4 Further Help

The MCTi Association

There are 64 towns across South West England currently involved in the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative (MCTi).

Through the management and development of the MCTi, the new Association aims to help Market Towns and their surrounding communities to identify priorities for the future of their area, gain the skills necessary to take action, and then to implement their plans. At a regional level the initiative will help coordinate activity of local and regional agencies and provide a 'gateway' to funding programmes.

The aim of the Association is to create vibrant, healthy and sustainable Market and Coastal Towns in the South West by helping local communities and their partners to:

• Prepare plans for their future covering all aspects of community life in their towns and surrounding rural areas.
• Develop their skills and organisational capacity to be effective partners.
• Share good practice and learn from local, regional, national and international experience.
• Secure funding and professional assistance.

The services it offers include:

• The Community Strategic Planning Process – It will invest in communities both financially and in staff resources to produce community engagement, development of an organisation for delivery and a 20-year plan for the Town.
• Offering support packages for Community Strategic Planning (CSP) – To increase the effectiveness of the process and strengthen community capacity to engage and own the process.
• Offering support through an association and network – To further develop the services the Association offers the region, including policy input, learning networks, sharing best practice, training etc.
• Membership of the Association – Providing an opportunity to input to the organisation's development.

The Association team aims to work with and through:

• Their Board
• The Executive Team
• County based Fora and,
• Towns Partnerships

The Association has recently recruited a Team of five Community facilitators. These include:

Caroline Walker: Devon
Mark Goodman: South Hams, Dorset and regional cover

Address:

MCTi Association
East Reach House
East Reach
Taunton
TA1 3EN
Tel: 01823 250815

South Hams Council for Voluntary Service

South Hams CVS is based in Totnes and supports and represents voluntary and community groups in the South Hams. This includes all types of groups - social and environmental, large and small, as well as those that are just starting out or are well established. South Hams CVS represents the voice of the voluntary sector in wider debates and acts as a point of contact with local government and other agencies. It also plays a role in development, supporting innovation, good practice and initiatives, which challenge inequality in local services.

It can assist with all stages of running a group or project and advise and support in a wide range of issues including:

Funding sources
Assisting with funding applications
Monitoring
Starting a new group
Writing constitutions
Charity registration
Running meetings
Linking with other groups
Insurance
Training
Business and strategy planning
Policy writing (equal opportunities, health and safety, etc.)
Managing projects
Employment (contracts, law, staff management, etc.)
Financial management.

Address:

South Hams Council for Voluntary Service
13 Leechwell Street
Totnes
Devon TQ9 5SX
Tel: 01803 862230

Community Council of Devon

The Community Council of Devon (CCD) is an independent charitable company founded in 1961. Its 900 members includes the principal statutory bodies and voluntary organisations in the county and many other local organisations.

Address:

Community Council of Devon
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter EX2 4QB

The Community Council of Devon is the Rural Community Council for Devon.

CCD work to a business plan with the current plan covering the period 2005 - 2010. Its main areas of work at present are covered by the following themes: community structure, community planning and community regeneration, with two cross-cutting themes: social inclusion and influencing.

The Council's vision is of active rural communities shaping their own futures with improved opportunities and quality of life for all. Its mission is that to strive to make this happen through its direct work with communities, its local knowledge, networks, professional services, and its influencing role.

CCD attaches great importance to its independent existence as a non-political countywide voluntary body.

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Click here for Appendices

Click here for Contents, Foreword & 1.0 Introduction

Click here for 2.0 Background to the Plan