Design Our Space - Urban Form Study

COME AND HELP US RESEARCH

the Southern Area of Totnes

Everybody Welcome

1. WHY DO WE NEED TO RESEARCH THE AREA? The Southern Area is one of the last major sites that will be developed in or near to the historic centre of Totnes.

Most people agree that any new plan for the site should fit into the surrounding area, should preserve the character and history of the area, should be people-friendly and keep the landscape that we all value. In order to try to meet these objectives in the new Community Plan we first need as much information as possible about the site and the surrounding area.

Just like the historic centre, what we plan for the site today will inform the visual landscape of Totnes, and will be where people live, work and play, for maybe hundreds of years into the future. It really matters what we do.

2. WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW? You will have many ideas about what kinds of information we need to collect. For example, it might include the following:

So a new plan will fit into surrounding areas we might need to know about:

  • How streets and houses are arranged
  • How densely populated it is
  • the age of houses in the area
  • how tall they are
  • what they are built of
  • if they have any special features
  • if they have gardens and garages

If we want a people-friendly plan we might need to know about:

  • existing footpaths
  • where footpaths cross traffic
  • convenient routes to school and shops
  • location of benches and resting places
  • location of public areas
  • lighting, safety and accessibility
  • location of public toilets
  • access to play spaces and gardens

If we plan to preserve its character and history, we might need to know about:

  • interesting features in the area
  • local landmarks
  • scheduled and listed buildings
  • how people think of the area now
  • how people used it in the past
  • street names and past happenings

To keep the landscape we might need to know about the wider surroundings:

  • about tall buildings, green areas, trees
  • how these link to open countryside
  • what existing houses and streets look like from across the site
  • the wider landscape views beyond
  • what views people already have
  • what views people particularly value

3. HOW CAN WE DO THIS? We will gather information about the site by working together in groups. Together we will, for example:

  • walk around the site looking at the houses, streets, spaces and views
  • record what we see on maps and forms
  • take photographs
  • make sketches, drawings and maps
  • find existing maps and plans of the area
  • check things out with the Council and at the library
  • talk to people about how they use the site
  • ask what they like and don't like about it
  • find other ways of gathering information as we work together
  • analyse the information and write it up

4. WOULD IT TAKE LONG? Everybody is welcome to take part and everyone can contribute something to the research even if you only have a few hours to spare. For example, in that time you could mark on a map how tall the houses are in several streets or type some information onto the computer. You could ring the Council, photograph views across the site, count people walking through Leechwell Lane on Saturday morning or help put together the exhibition. If you could give several days over the next few months that would be even better!

5. WOULD IT BE FUN? Yes! Someone might like to organise a picnic or a treasure or Easter egg hunt on the site as we work. And it would be wonderful to have a visual record of the site before it is developed. Maybe we could invite different groups to do drawings, paintings, photos, collages and models of the site? Children from the Grove School might be interested and amateur groups as well as local artists? Shops and traders might donate some prizes? You can bring your ideas of what you would like to do.

6. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT? We will make a record of everything we have done. This can be used by the Community Working Groups who will be working on different aspects of the plan and will help them with the design of the site. At the end we could have an exhibition of all the information we have gathered- photographs, maps, drawings and visual displays. The information could also be put in the Totnes library and on our website so that anybody can use it.

7. HOW TO JOIN UP? You can fill in one of the Community Skills Audit Forms here on the website pick up a form from our office at 17 The High Street or contact us by phone.

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH.

IT IS YOUR COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS

WHAT YOU DO WILL REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

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