Last night members of the Atmos Totnes team attended a meeting with some of the Atmos site’s neighbours in Totnes Rugby Club. They knew about the scheme and had asked for the opportunity to ask their questions and raise their concerns. It was a very constructive evening, and as part of it, we asked them what they would like to see there, what would need to happen on that site in order for them to be completely delighted with it. Here are the answers they came up with:
I like the brewery idea • Let’s put the library on the site, or a cinema • Opportunity for existing businesses to partner the ecobuild training • Brunel building to be a youth-focussed building. Skills training – construction, especially for young people • Kids’ music centre in the Brunel building • Classrooms and workshops for apprenticeships in several disciplines • Cycle/pedestrian access from the end of Weirfields (route from cycle path) • preserve the views across to the station etc from houses in Weirfields • Keep the trees at the end of Weirfields beside the leat • Sustainable employment created by finding employers who want to work with the site • Site for users as well as community • Real knowledge of independence for incubated businesses • Make sure you know the level of the north site! • Chimney – please stay, great local landmark. You could write “ATMOS” in large letters down it • Fund itself, not run using grants • Get a dartmoor National Park Shop of Totnes information point • Mixed development • Truly affordable housing • Rental housing • Footpaths to stay open • Brunel building – cafe open during hours people are available, e.g. after work, and exhibition space, shop window for Totnes • Get the leat flowing again • Leat as a way of accessing the site. Park and Ride up the leat into the site • Opportunities to provide local employment • Cycle hire and bike fixing unit • Concern about the sorts of industrial development in terms of pollution (i.e. smells from a brewery) • Potential increase in traffic • Good food of quality, but not exclusive • Play area for children, including something like the Ship down at Long Marsh, perhaps a big wooden steam engine? • Joined-up thinking with cars accessing Totnes and the project, e.g. Park and Ride. Exhibition space for local artists in the Brunel building.
We are very grateful to Ben Hartridge who organised the event and to everyone who came and engaged so fully in helping to shape this exciting project.
