Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >> Scoping Study consultation 'is our ONLY chance to influence the basics of the design.'

Later this month, the consultants for the Scoping Study on the Eastern Town will be presenting their draft report at Kennaway House: all are welcome:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >> "Initial concept proposals for Sidmouth’s Port Royal available to view at consultation days later this month >> Come along and have your say at Kennaway House on June 26 and 27"

The latest newsletter from the Rescue Drill Hall site urges participation in the consultation:

Time to make your views known   Dear Friends, Those of you who live in the valley of the Sid will know that the last Neighbourhood Plan survey is active at the moment. It closes on 30th June and you can find it online here., the other pages for the Neighbourhood Plan are this and this. Two days ago East Devon District Council put up an announcement giving the dates for the Port Royal Consultation. As you may remember this was supposed to be just a preliminary exercise to establish the area which might be suitable for redevelopment, but now it is  a proposed scheme which seems to be of about the same level as an outline planning application. The announcement is here and as you will see there is little time to get one's thoughts in order as the consultation is for the 26th and 27th June, just over a week away! Ex-leader of the Town Council, Councillor Jeff Turner, has made it clear that there are ‘ no detailed designs of buildings’ at this stage; however we should be in no doubt that this is an important threshold. We have been told quite clearly that there will be 'gateways' in this process and that after a gateway has been passed it will NOT be reconsidered under any circumstances. This means that this consultation is our ONLY chance to influence the basics of the design. The design which the consultants will be exhibiting will show us whether the general ideas are to have a human scale mixture of different buildings which retains the Drill Hall and the current atmosphere, or if it will be a huge block which obscures the views of the Hanger as seen from the west end of the Esplanade, is alien to the spirit of the listed buildings within the town and casts the Ham into shadow for much of the day. This Port Royal consultation and the Neighbourhood Plan Survey are two chances we must take if we wish Councillors to take our views seriously. There is no information available on the Sidmouth Town Council web site yet although they are the agreed lead on this consultation. This is their page about Port Royal I am attempting to find out exactly what will be put up on EDDC and STC websites and will therefore be available to those who are out of the area over the two days of the consultation. I will be at that consultation, and if the full display is not available on one of the council sites I will take photographs and put them up online so everyone has a proper chance to see it all. With time so short I can not afford to wait until I have all the information collected before I contact you so please forgive me for the fact that there will be several short communications prior to the consultation at Kennaway House. Finally, for the moment, one of my friends sent me this information about a Norfolk Drill Hall which has just been saved, We need to work to persuade our elected leaders to see what these Norfolk Councillors understand; that is is better to reuse what we have than to waste our resources. kind regards, Mary

Rescue Sidmouth Drill Hall - Sidmouth Drill Hall Rescue
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