10 Transforming the heart of the town

10.1 Introduction

Our proposals for the heart of the town are designed to make a significant, measurable contribution to the strategic objectives. Specifically, the master plan proposals will:

• establish consistent quality in all aspects of the built environment: architecture, streetscape, planting and lighting
• establish a strong and coherent framework to accommodate a range of different activities and uses
• with this framework, establish a sequence of spaces of distinct character and function
• reflect the distinctive, character and personality of Dawlish, and
• make the town a livelier, more engaging and diverseplace.

The key elements of the proposals for the heart of the town are summarised in the following paragraphs. The proposals are shown in three illustrative perspective drawings in Figures 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 and in concept plan form (Figures 10.4-10.5). Figures 10.6 and 10.7 present exemplar images which give a flavour of the character and quality proposed.

10.2 Strand car park

The car park is confusing and untidy and creates a poor first impression for visitors. The loss of the original garden setting for the terrace is unfortunate, although the car park is a useful facility for short-stay visits. We propose improvements based on the principles of formality, simplicity and quality. We recommend a redesign of both the public car park and the adjoining private land, which will:

• rationalise and simplify layout and circulation
• improve pedestrian links to the street and the Lawn
• use walls and hedges to define the street edge and divide areas of parking, and break down the scale
• create areas for planting.

10.3 Bowling Green

The bowling green and clubhouse are popular and well-used facilities, and are an important source of activity in the town centre. If possible, it would be beneficial if the clubhouse could be used for a wider range of community activities, making it more of a social hub. The shelter to the north of the bowling green is useful, and it will be refurbished; the shelter needs to be kept clean and well maintained so that it is always pleasant to use. The upper viewing platform will have a complete makeover, with new seating and lighting, as part of a wider scheme to reconnect the Strand and the Lawn (see 10.8 below).

10.4 Café/performance space

The present bandstand sits forlornly in the centre of the Lawn. The structure is unsightly, has no obvious purpose, and the area between it and the fenced off bowling green is something of a dead space. We propose that the bandstand should be removed and replaced by a new focal point for activity at the west end of the Lawn, immediately adjoining the bowling green. It will comprise:

• a stylish, commercially operated café commanding a view down the Lawn, with indoor and outdoor seating
• integral to the building, a stage/outdoor performance area, and
• a small arena with a paved surface and a few tiers of robust outdoor seating.

Like every other element of these proposals, this structure should be a design gem and an eye-catching landmark at the end of the Lawn. Consideration should be give to making all three new structures included in these proposals (the café, the eco-centre and the new Tourist Information Centre) energy-efficient green buildings, possibly with sedum roofs. The design of this new node of activity also provides an opportunity to resolve the present awkward relationship between the bowling green, the Lawn and the Strand.

10.5 The Lawn

The Lawn will return to its original character as a generously proportioned, tranquil and elegant green space in the heart of Dawlish. By removing visual clutter these proposals will reinforce the simple, formal character of the Lawn, and restore the integrity of the spatial set-piece formed by the Stand, Brunswick Place and gardens. The key elements of this revival will be:

• the removal of the tired and unsightly bandstand
• naturalisation of Dawlish Water and the creation of a wetland margin
• replacement of the over-mature and diseased chestnuts with an avenue of mature new trees flanking the grassed area
• redesign of planting to create a sustainable and contemporary style
• a new lighting regime
• improved access at key points of entry
• replacement of the wall and planting on the north side of the park with a broad sweep of steps down from the Strand; this will form a more intimate connection between the two spaces

The Lawn will be a quiet zone within the sequence of spaces in the heart of the town, flanked by more active areas around the café and the market place. But the beauty and elegance of this "town garden" will be a big attraction for visitors and locals, and by making the Lawn a more accessible space our proposals will encourage pedestrian traffic. At Carnival time and other seasons, the management regime for the Lawn should focus on relatively low impact activities which will not compromise the quality and ambience of the space.

10.6 The Shaftesbury

Dawlish is fortunate to have a lively and enterprising theatre run by local volunteers, who have already made big improvements to the auditorium and front-of-house facilities. We believe that the skills and experience of the Dawlish Repertory Company should be the catalyst for an even more ambitious cultural and community project, the Shaftesbury. Based on models including the Flavel Arts Centre in Dartmouth, the Shaftesbury would comprise four key elements:

• a further phase of investment in the theatre itself to improve backstage facilities including a fly tower; a stylish new façade providing the public entrance to the building, with a box office and bar; and conversion of the present bar area to create a gallery space
• establishing a high quality year-round programme, with an increase in professional touring productions and, possibly an annual arts festival
• acquisition of the Old Post Office to create a new home for Dawlish Community Trust, a new Dawlish Festival Society and other community groups, as well as meeting rooms for hire
• in the medium-term, acquisition of the sorting office to create managed studio and workshop space for professional artists, craft workers and creative businesses.

10.7 eco-centre

Dawlish's waterfowl collection has been a popular attraction in the past, but the enclosure is an embarrassing mess and the breeding programme has been suspended for health and safety reasons. In any event, the concept of displaying captive birds is something of an anachronism. There is an opportunity for a fresh approach, associated with proposals for enhancing the environmental value of Dawlish Water, which are discussed below. We recommend that the present enclosure should be removed entirely, and that the community should explore the possibility of working with Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) to replace it with an eco-centre [1]. This would essentially be an interpretive facility, telling the story of the natural history of Dawlish, its river and coast. There would be facilities for educational trips, with webcam links to nesting sites at Dawlish Warren and other locations. Subject to DWT's advice, there could be an on-site breeding and release programme involving local schools.

This would certainly need to be a green building and once again, the design quality would need to be very high to complement the surrounding townscape and the revived park setting.

[1] It may be possible to win some more space on the south bank of the river as part of the proposed works to partially naturalise the channel.

10.8 The Strand

Given its superb south-facing situation, the Strand is a profoundly disappointing street. With some notable exceptions, the quality of shops, food and drink is poor; narrow footpaths and too much traffic and parking make it an uncomfortable place for pedestrians; and the quality of the streetscape has been eroded by some inappropriate development and, especially, tacky shop fronts.

Our aim is to make the Strand a civilised and stylish street once again, and to transform its relationship with the Lawn so that the street becomes a terrace overlooking a garden.

The major structural change will be to break down the barrier created by the change of level between the Strand and the Lawn. We propose to remove the wall - and the heavily shaded borders below - and replace them with a broad sweep of steps leading down from the street to the garden. There will be ramps for disabled access, and the steps will be broken up at intervals with platforms overlooking the park, with space for outdoor seating.

The benefits of this approach will be enhanced by the introduction of new mature trees on either side of the Lawn. This will create a more open and welcoming aspect, closer to the original design intention than the very large trees which, at the end of their lives, now overshadow the open space.

There will also be major changes to the traffic and parking regime: there will be a footpath on the south side of the street, at the top of the steps, and all parking will be removed from this side. The pavement on the north side will be widened, and there will be footway paving at grade across the road at key points to create safe pedestrian routes between the shops and cafes, outdoor seating opposite and the Lawn. Parking bays will be retained on the north side, but with a large proportion reserved for disabled drivers. The traffic regime will establish visual cues to show that, while vehicles are still permitted, pedestrians are in charge: drivers will slow down as they enter pedestrian territory.

The Strand and Brunswick Place will be priority areas for the Townscape Heritage Initiative described in Section 11. The proposals described here will be carried out in high quality, long-lasting natural materials, with restrained, timeless designs for street furniture and the minimum of visual clutter.

10.9 The Market Place

We propose that the area from the east end of the Lawn to Jubilee Bridge should be recast as a new market place for the town. This is already a busy space and popular with visitors, but the design of the area is fragmented and undistinguished. We propose a simpler solution based on a new area of hard landscaping. A strong north-south link will connect the Strand to Brunswick Place: the Strand steps will terminate in a broad flight of shallow steps - with a ramp for disabled access - leading to a new foot bridge over Dawlish Water. The area at the foot of the steps will be used for regular markets and other events, and an arm of the market place will extend east towards Tuck's Plot, running parallel with the naturalised river. This series of connected spaces will be very flexible, allowing stalls and Carnival attractions to be placed on the shallow steps and around the perimeter of the space. A smart new building next to Piermont Place will replace the tourist information centre and the public toilets, and may also contain a kiosk.

10.10 Jubilee Bridge

The present road layout is based on a gyratory system which means that Tuck's Plot is reduced to the status of a roundabout on the A379. This arrangement appears to be designed to maximise the impact of traffic, and to create a barrier to pedestrian movement between the town and the sea. The topography of the town dictates that the main road must pass along the sea-front, but we propose an arrangement which will strike a better balance between people and cars, and return Tuck's Plot to its former status as a valuable public space.

To achieve this we recommend the adoption of a proposal previously developed by Devon County Council, to restore two-way working on Jubilee Bridge, with mini-roundabouts to control traffic movements to and from the station, Brunswick Place and the Strand. All through traffic will be removed from Piermont Place east of the bridge and Station Road, although vehicle access will still be required for public transport and cars heading for the station car park and Beach Street.

It is important to stress that, in traffic management terms, the aim is to keep traffic flowing, but at a speed consistent with pedestrian comfort and safety. Jubilee Bridge will be widened and reoriented slightly to ease vehicle movements; new paving materials designed to calm traffic will be introduced; and raised beds will be removed in order to improve sight-lines. Pedestrians are currently presented with an obstacle course, but the new scheme will enable people to follow desire lines with pedestrian crossings linking Brunswick Place and the market place to the new Piermont Square.

10.11 Piermont Square

These traffic measures will enable Tuck's Plot to become a busy and attractive civic space - Piermont Square - which will form the final link in the chain of spaces running through the heart of Dawlish. Although buses and cars will still enter Piermont Place, the square will provide an enlarged public space enabling Piermont Place and Station Street to be used for gatherings and events. Some of the high impact activities associated with the Carnival will be accommodated here, with fairground rides extending up into Marine Parade [2[. The river will still be a defining feature of the square, with smart walkways, decorative planting and trees on both banks.

The area between the river and Brookdale Terrace, currently home to the drab and under-used putting course, will be earmarked for play equipment, including water features, in what will be a lively, family-oriented part of the town.

[2] The damage being inflicted on the Lawn by fairground rides is unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to continue after the master plan has been implemented. These rides should be relocated to Piermont Square and Marine Parade, although consideration could also be given to transferring the funfair to Dawlish Warren.

10.12 Dawlish Station

The railway station is an important place in a town - a site of arrival and departure - and a valuable asset. In Dawlish, the station - like so much else in the town - is poorly maintained and badly presented, despite the energetic efforts of the Friends of Dawlish Station. The station buildings, platform canopies, footbridge and signal box form an attractive group which deserves better treatment.

The station will be restored to complement the creation of Piermont Square. To encourage walkers and cyclists to come to Dawlish by train, the station will act as an information point for routes around the town, and a bicycle storage facility will be provided. Special rates will be negotiated to encourage visitors to use the train, especially at peak holiday times.

10.13 Sea wall and cobweb bridge

The gloomy tunnel under the sea wall will be restored; new lighting will be provided and a public art work will be commissioned for the underside of the arch. The supporting piers and abutments in brick and stone will be steam- cleaned to remove generations of grime.

The feasibility of uncovering the river should be considered, with access to the beach by a "cobweb bridge" suspended over the water. This will create an exciting and memorable approach to the sea-front. The bridge will be for pedestrian use, but wide enough and with sufficient load capacity for emergency vehicles and essential access.

10.14 Dawlish Water

Dawlish Water, known by many as the Brook, has been straightened and canalised, and the design treatment of the river - hard edges, artificial islands, a miscellany of objects and clumsy lighting gantries - is both extremely dated and of low environmental value. We recommend an approach based on contemporary best practice which would naturalise the river as it flows through the Lawn. The key elements of this scheme will be:

• the restoration of small meanders in the course of the river
• breaking out the banks to create a graded edge with marginal, wetland planting
• removal of artificial channels and structures.

These measures will have the immediate effect of improving the aesthetic appearance of the river at all seasons of the year, but they will also enhance the biodiversity of the stream and its margins by creating a richer environment for fish, birds, mammals, insects and plants. The design of the scheme should also aim to increase the capacity of the watercourse, helping to reduce the risk of flooding. The details of the design will require a full technical appraisal, taking account of the risk of flooding and tidal surges.

Below Jubilee Bridge, where the river flows through the new Piermont Square, limited space and the character of the square dictate that the style will be more formal and urban, although here too the treatment of the margins of the river should create micro-habitats for wildlife and - in keeping with our proposals throughout the heart of the town - the design will be elegant and unfussy.

10.15 Planting

Dawlish makes a great show with its displays of bedding plants, which are popular with residents and visitors. We recommend that this tradition should be maintained, but brought up to date, and that bedding displays should be complemented by a radical new approach to planting, especially around the Lawn and by the river. The look of Dawlish's gardens is still very much influenced by a municipal design ethos rooted in the 1950s and 60s. Done well, this has its merits, but it is an approach that requires levels of maintenance that are no longer practicable. We also need to take account of the effects of climate change: some areas of planting in Dawlish are clearly under strain, and we need a more sustainable solution.

Our objectives are fourfold:

• to improve and update bedding displays without compromising their visual impact
• to improve the year-round appearance and interest of the town's gardens by improving their architectural quality
• to establish a more sustainable planting regime, and
• to contribute to biodiversity.

• bedding displays focused on the area around the market place, with simplified planting schemes - and new planting structures - to give a much bolder, more contemporary look
• wetland planting (see above) by the riverside
• introduction of new areas of shrub/border planting, especially around the Lawn, and
• the use of more native and/or drought tolerant species.

10.16 Lighting

Lighting in Dawlish is something of a conundrum. The festive lights strung across the river are a feature of the town, especially during the summer months, but the lights and the various structures associated with them are an unsightly mess during daylight hours.

The lighting strategy must begin with a consideration of the purpose of the lighting regime and what it is trying to achieve. There are three categories of lighting:

• functional lighting for the safety and comfort for pedestrians and traffic: conventional street lighting helps the town to go about its business during the hours of darkness
• feature lighting of special places, buildings and features to highlight and celebrate distinctive townscape qualities and support patterns of use
• festive lighting for special events or seasonal displays.

Our proposals for the heart of the town focus on these three categories, although our philosophy is to focus on functional and feature lighting, and reduce dependency on festive lighting, which too often covers a multitude of sins. The detailed designs for the heart of the town proposals will include recommendations for street lighting on the Strand and Brunswick Place, as well as lighting for pedestrian routes around the Lawn; we recommend simple, elegant structures appropriate to the character and scale of these streets/paths; in some cases it may be possible to fix lights onto buildings. The functional lighting scheme should not be too bright: subdued lighting can be magical and it also reduces light pollution: people visiting the Lawn in the evening should be able to see the night sky.

There should be a restrained and selective investment in feature lighting, including:

• uplighting for the trees on the Lawn
• underlighting of bridges over Dawlish Water and the tunnel under the sea wall
• high specification lighting set in footpaths, steps and walls
• coloured lighting of the Piermont Square water feature, and
• floodlighting of a number of landmark buildings, including the new café at the west end of the Lawn.

This regime will give Dawlish nights an atmosphere of quality and enchantment throughout the year which will render redundant the familiar strings of coloured lights strung across the river. There is still a case for special lighting for special occasions, but displays must be demountable and taken down promptly after use. Our preferred solution would be to invest in:

• a commissioned light installation for the peak holiday period; sited in Piermont Square, it might throw beams of light into the night sky, bathe surrounding buildings in coloured light, or project images onto the sea wall
• white lights for the new avenue of trees by the Lawn which would be a feature of the Dawlish Winter Festival (see Figure 10.7) and provide a magical setting for the Christmas market.

10.17 Services and utilities

The design of all these works will include provision for services and utilities throughout the sequence of spaces described above. The level of services required will reflect the planned uses of different areas, but electricity will be required throughout the heart of the town, and the areas designated for intensive use (the market place and Piermont Square) will be wired and plumbed throughout.

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Dawlish Community Trust, Room 7, The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 9AP :: Telephone (01626) 866803