Action Minutes of TotnesNeighbourhood Plan Steering Group

Vision & Objectives Review

February 17th, Totnes Guildhall, 7pm - 9pm

Present - Peter Rees, Frances Northrop, Chris Balch, Thea Platt, Helen Gilhespy, Robert Vint, Ian Franklin, Chantelle Norton, Mary Coughlan-Clarke

Apologies –Ian Franklin and Andy

Chair - Paul Bennett

Please note this meeting took the form of a workshop where Steering Group members reviewed the vision and objectives drafted by each task group (based on public consultation). Comments and feedback were given for each vision and task group leads were asked to re-work visions/objectives for Task Group lead meeting on Tuesday 1st March (see Task Group Lead minutes for March)

Notes/comments made for Economy Task group:

  • First class education facilities to appropriately prepare young people to contribute to the economic health and sustainability of the town
  • Economy - cross over with Culture " Creative Environment"
  • Economy - Embracing new Economic models, sharing economy, circular economy
  • Economic Resilience with Local economy that keeps money local
  • Objectives need to mention "Entreprenureship & innovation"
  • Develop Totnes as a Creative and Knowledge Skill based economy
    ( 3 T's Talent, Tolerance & Technology)
  • Widen the range and quality of jobs and livelihoods for local people
    Focus on providing sustainable jobs for All rather than profits for a few corporations
  • An economy that meets peoples' true needs in the longterm whilst minimising Resource use and damage to the town
  • Symbiotic relationship with catchment community of villages
    Support the market and service function of the town and strengthen it's links to surrounding areas
  • Where do we deal with Town Squares & their connectivity?
  • No mention of Dormitory town?
    Town manager etc -
    -Role of Town Council?
    -Protecting Heritage & Town
    -Coordinating events
    -Annual. Calendar of events
    -Enhancing River business
    - Park & Ride- Park& Stride
    -Develop Industrial Estate

CROSS CUTTING THEMES

  • Education and Economy
  • Sharing systems
  • Healthy economy protecting the fabric/heritage
    Capture more spending from tourism and visitors
    Totnes as a market town serving surrounding communities

Environmental Sustainability group Vision and Objectives feedback and further thoughts.

  • It was felt that many of the objectives were 'cross-cutting'?
  • Not sure what this means for moving forward with our objectives?
  • Locally grown food which issoldlocally was mentioned as an addition to our 'Food' objective.
  • It was mentioned that there are cross-overs with the 'housing' group/objectives, and a cross-over with the theme of wellbeing amongst groups and objectives
  • Wellbeing should be a higher level objective? (As has been suggested by various people)
  • “No mention of wildlife corridors” (specific comment)
  • Wildlife corridors have been talked about in various discussions, including our most recent 'Environmental Sustainability' group meeting last Tuesday, particularly in relation to the 'Landscape & Natural Environment' Objective, but not explicitly mentioned in/as an objective
  • Would/should wildlife corridors and other specifics be included in our objectives, or should/can we have specific policies about wildlife corridors etc.?
  • “What about promoting change of behaviour?” (specific comment)
  • Some of our objectives do implicitly promote, or at least require change in behaviour (particularly 'circular economy' & 'community owned infrastructure'.
  • May be worth exploring if/how our objective may promote or assist behaviour change?
  • “Protecting and enriching habitats and species” was made as a comment
  • I take this as a comment of agreement with our 'landscape and natural environment' objective? Or the comment suggests we haven't been explicit enough?
  • What about mitigating and adapting to climate change?
  • We currently have no objective for this. And beyond 'pioneering resilient....development' we have no mention of this in our vision either? There appears to be little or no mention of this in public consultations...?
  • Air quality and water quality were also mentioned as being absent from our objectives.
  • I briefly explained our conversation about using/relying on existing policy on air and water quality (& not reinventing the wheel or starting from scratch)...however we feel that perhaps, in the spirit of aspiration and 'covering all bases' it might be wise to include mention of air and/or water quality (improving standards/quality).
  • “Some of this needs to go into the overall vision” (Specific comment)
  • Not sure what this means for moving forward....?
  • Also some general comments on including/changing some words in the vision and objectives:
  • “Stimulateand sustain”
  • Change life toquality of life (in the vision – the vision refers to putting life, life itself, at the centre of what we do...not sure that 'quality of life' is big or strong enough?)
  • Include reference to the visual characteristic/beauty of the town
  • Include 'wild' in reference to green/natural spaces
  • change 'education' toinformed behaviour
  • Includegreen travel routesandwater suppliesin community owned infrastructure
  • Change 'vitality' toquality of life(In wellbeing objective)
  • And Holly's comments on a food objective:
    So my thoughts are that you have you have got the core of the matter in this but that it perhaps could benefit from some specifics, I also don't think that the meaning behind 'A Field to Fork' approach is clear to the uninitiated, how about that we 'Support and encourage the production of food grown within 30 miles of Totnes, on principles that support the health and biodiversity of the land. Building on Totnes' existing vibrant food networks to support local farmers and growers to access local routes to markets for their produce and create opportunities to increase access to land and the provision & maintenance of food growing green spaces.

Transport

The following suggestions were made:

Vision:

Needs to promote connected town and connected neighbourhoods. Promote choice of transport and sustainable movement - walking and cycling.

What about digital connectivity.

Objectives in general:

Take from "Totnes Transport Strategy"

Reduce need to travel by providing more good quality local jobs and locally affordable housing.

Objective 1:

Define "sustainably"

Objective 2:

Better infrastructure for visitors and residents alike.

Need to specifically include cycle and footpaths - this coming out as top priority.

Objective 3:

Define "humanise"

Add "including the experience of children and young people, especially in travel to and from school".

Prioritise the needs of people of all dues? rather than the needs of vehicles.

Outcomes:

Expand to include outcomes.

General Comment:

"All this pedestrian infrastructure shows respect for human dignity. We're telling people "you are important""

"If we're going to talk about transport, I would say that the Great City is not the one that has highways but one where a child on a bicycle can go safely everywhere".

"An Advanced City is not a place where the poor move about in cars, rather it's where even the rich use public tranportation".

All quotes by Enrique Penalosa.

Culture & Heritage

Public open spaces

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