• Abbey Bridge housing. West Devon Homes are building 22 flats for affordable rents; expected to complete in spring 2005.

• Tavistock tree strategy. Urban trees are one of Tavistock’s major assets yet a general thinning of the tree cover has taken place over recent years. The reasons for this need to be understood and actions identified that will conserve and enhance trees in streets, parks and gardens. The tree strategy is to be developed through consultation with interested parties and when complete it will provide an agreed framework for managing the town’s trees.
  

• Monksmead affordable homes. West Devon Homes are planning to build 14 affordable units on a site adjacent to Monksmead, subject to being able to negotiate the necessary funding.
  

• Abbey Place lighting. The historic core of Tavistock between Bedford Square and Abbey Bridge is flooded by light at night; the glare around Abbey Weir is particularly harsh yet Court Gate is left in shadow. This project aims to learn from other towns whose historic centres are more subtly lit and more attractive as a result. The goal is to design and install a suite of illuminations that picks out the main features around Abbey Place while at the same time reducing light pollution and energy use.
  

• Town signage. Tavistock has many signs scattered in strong visual locations. This project plans to undertake an overall audit, before going on to propose and deliver improvements.
  

• Princetown corner site. Details in ‘Economy and Employment’
  

• Tavistock heritage buildings. Details in ‘Economy and Employment’
  

• Materials reprocessing. Details in ‘Economy and Employment’
  

Projects in concept phases – what is being talked about

• Toilet improvements. Tavistock’s toilets are in unusual locations, often in historic buildings or areas, and consequently difficult to upgrade in the way achieved in other towns. Although the problems are appreciated, it is felt that the toilets reflect poorly on the town and improvements are needed.

• Street furniture. Some of the street furniture around Tavistock is utilitarian and does not do justice to the historic setting. Replacements would increase awareness and appreciation of what the town has to offer. They should be designed and made by local craftsmen rather than bought as off-the-shelf ‘heritage’ products.

• Urban design guide. Many planning authorities have produced a design guide to illustrate what contributes to local distinctiveness and what detracts from it. Such a guide could also inform particular local issues, such as the poor fit that Tavistock’s southern industrial estates make with the River Tavy, the Meadows and the Westbridge conservation area. Using a combination of study and consultation, a consensus would develop about how to improve the quality and patterns of future developments.

• ‘Cuckoo’ buildings. There are a few properties in the conservation areas which do not fit in with their surroundings and lend themselves to restoration or rebuilding, perhaps as part of a Town Heritage Initiative. In some cases, the buildings are single-storey and could be developed to provide living accommodation above.

• Flats above shops. An on-the-ground survey indicates that there are several empty rooms above the shops in Tavistock. Bringing them into use for housing would help to provide more affordable units and maintain the vitality of the town centre. Conversion work is likely to be expensive due to the difficulties of meeting fire regulations in listed buildings.

• Self-build housing. By making land available for purchase and by pooling skills and other resources, some people would be able to build houses for themselves, whereas they would not be able to afford home-ownership in any other way while house prices remain so high.

• Sweets’ shop. The old Sweets’ shop in West Street has been vacant for over ten years during protracted restoration work which is still far from finished. There may be possibilities for a public-private partnership scheme that could provide affordable accommodation on the first floor.

• Meadows refurbishment. The Meadows is one of Devon’s most attractive parks but, with heavy usage over the years, it is starting to look worn in places. Its original character and appeal need to be restored for the benefit of local people and visitors, and this could involve a major refurbishment scheme.

This site will be continuously maintained to keep track of issues and projects as they develop. Use the form on each page of this site to make to make your own suggestions and comments, or to raise questions.