Master Plan for Dawlish Town Centre

The Dawlish Community Trust appointed yellow book ltd of Edinburgh to produce a Master Plan for the town centre of Dawlish. The Strategic Plan 2005-2015 included two priority projects for further development:

1. Town centre enhancement of the Strand as the main visitor shopping attraction addressing, inter alia, parking, traffic circulation and pedestrian safety, narrow pavements, shop fronts and signage.
2. Improving the Lawn and the other park and garden spaces linking the town to the seafront improving management of these key open spaces including the over-use of the Lawn affecting the grass surface, ad hoc planting schemes, trees approaching the end of their life, a drab bandstand and shelters.

Actions to date

Actions to date have been:

1. The Trust prepared a detailed brief around the issues raised in public consultations and, following the usual tendering process, appointed yellow book ltd of Edinburgh, a nationally respected firm of planning consultants, to prepare a Town Centre Master Plan to address these issues and produce specific proposals for changes.
2. During the preparation of the Master Plan for the Town Centre a further public consultation was held on 6 September 2007. The exhibition drew in over 400 people to leave their comments and the evening presentation was also well attended.
3. It is intended that this Plan will be a key document in future applications for funding, demonstrating a clear vision of what is required, evidence of need and public support.
4. The completed plan was presented formally to the public and stakeholders on 6 May 2008.
5. Principal funding was from South West Regional Development Agency with further contributions from Devon County, Teignbridge District and Dawlish Town Councils.

Work in progress on the Town Centre Master Plan is creating a clear vision of changes needed, which will provide for the first time a basis for all stakeholders to agree a common approach with co-ordinated action.

There is already clear evidence that several businesses in the town are responding to the stimulus of the project by remodelling and re-equipping their business to take part in the re-launch of Dawlish.

Development of the Town Centre Master Plan

1. This needs to move from vision to implementing change.
2. A key next step is the creation of a formal partnership including all levels of local government (post unitary status review), Dawlish Community Trust and Dawlish Chamber of Trade. Its function will be to provide a management framework for execution and maintenance of the plan.
3. Early indications are that applications will be made to:
   1. Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) under the Sea Change programme.
   2. Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) under the Parks for People and Townscape Heritage Initiatives.
4. Whilst the applications will need to be made by the owners of the assets involved, Dawlish Community Trust will have a key role to play in researching and scooping the bids.
5. A high level of architectural quality will be expected and the Trust will apply the same care in advising the appointment of consultants as they did for the Master Plan.

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