Wednesday 23 June 2010, author: admin

THE WAKEFIELD TRUST

18 June 2010
Registered Charity No. 800079

THE TOTNES & DISTRICT PRESERVATION TRUST
Registered Charity No. 290967

HEATH'S GARDEN - South Street, Totnes - PROJECT RESUME:

The above charitable bodies have recently come together, with the South Hams District Council, as sponsors of an environmental improvement project in Totnes.

The intention of this project is to enable a presently neglected piece of land, close to the centre of the Town, to be transformed into a public landscaped Garden, thus enhancing the amenity value of the area and the setting of the historic town centre. This, in turn, could increase visitor numbers to the town centre shops and other businesses.

The land in question is owned by the District Council and is at present mainly used as a thoroughfare between the main car parks in the town centre and the Market Square / Civic Hall area. Upon receipt of the initial proposal from the Trusts, the District Council created a Working Group to progress the project. This is chaired by the Deputy Leader of the Council and includes representatives of: the Trusts; the consortium involved with the nearby, new Community Garden; together with local Elected Ward Members for the Town and District Councils; and Officers of the District Council.

It is the intention of the sponsors that the potential of the site should be fully realised, as it is one of the main pedestrian gateways into the historic town centre and should provide a positive, distinct and high-quality environment.

The new Garden will achieve this in a number of ways, viz:

• provide a safe place for small children to meet and play, whilst being supervised by their parents;
• provide a new, recognisable place with a pleasant ambience and visual interest for sitting and meeting, accessible to both visitors and nearby residents (many of whom do not have access to private gardens);
• form part of a new pedestrian route which will reinforce the link between the town centre and the historic Leechwells. This route will connect the Market Square with the Leechwells [via Heath's Garden and Leechwell Lane (an historic walled footpath which also provides access to the new Community Garden];
• provide a greatly improved prospect when viewed from the Civic Hall / Market Square and neighbouring buildings.

In order to help engender respect by users for the overall quality which this new community facility will have, and to provide for the needs of dogs (and the convenience of their owners) a purpose-designed 'doglatrine' has been proposed as part of the overall the design. (It is intended that this will occupy a site close to the entrance to the Garden, from the adjacent car park).

The proposals for the Garden have been endorsed by the Town and District Councils and the local community (The views of the latter having been canvassed through a public exhibition of the design proposals which elicited widespread support for the project). Negotiations regarding the detail designs of the Garden’s boundaries are currently ongoing with the neighbouring property owners.

Whilst the Trusts have initiated the concept for the Garden, the District Council has provided technical advice and through the appointment of consultant landscape architects, has enabled the design to be refined and developed. Whereas the Consultants will provide contract management for the construction of the Garden (including health and safety approvals) the Council has undertaken to maintain the Garden in the future. The specification for plants, materials, furnishings and fittings are of high quality. Firm prices have been received from the Council’s preferred contractors and suppliers and it is intended that the Garden will be constructed in the early autumn of this year. Although the bulk of the funding for the main infrastructure and planting elements of the scheme has been secured: from the Wakefield Trust (together with funds from the Totnes & District Preservation Trust and the Mitchell Trust) and the County Council (which has provided financial support from its Locality Budget) the Sponsors are now seeking to obtain additional funds from other bodies to cover a shortfall of around £10,000 in the funding required.

These bodies include the Greater Dartmoor LEAF, together with prominent local and national businesses who are either based in or trade in the Town.

Because the Sponsors wish to encourage community involvement in the making and supervision of the Garden, if sufficient funds can be raised they intend to sponsor a project for local primary school children involving the creation of a mural, the design of which will draw on local history.