More than twenty people gathered in the town council chamber to
discuss the Town Square. Hosted by the new Crediton Town Team - the
group emerging from the Crediton Festival to look at new approaches
to community regeneration - people taking part concluded that
the square is being used for a steadily increasing range of events
and uses - sport, music, theatre, relaxing with a cup of coffee,
farmers markets, town festival, boules, car boot sales, Army
recruitment, Remembrance Day, Christmas lights, health awareness
exhibitions and so on, and that if anything this multifunctional
usage needs nourishing and encouraging rather than undergo any
radical new plans which might limit its uses.
Some ideas for additional uses included:
- More live music
- Further planting in the square - everyone loved the Incredible
Edibles tubs
- Outside consultation events - for the council, health etc to be
really visible to the local people
- Sculptures
- A temporary dance floor for certain events
- A skating rink for Christmas time
- A poultry market
The surface of the square was also discussed. Not everyone liked
the gravelly finish, but councillor. Liz Brookes Hocking explained
that the square is subject to times of very heavy rain, and that
the granular surface acts as a sponge, soaking up the rain which in
turn is funnelled into special underground reservoirs. This is
essential, she said, as the rain water would otherwise quickly
overwhelm the storm drains and end up flooding nearby
houses.
The meeting discussed some physical improvements to the square
including:
- Upgrading the town square furniture to make it more welcoming
for people to come and sit in the square
- Buying equipment for the square to be used by smaller community
groups, such as be tables, chairs and parasols
- Storage space around the square so that groups using the square
can easily bring out their equipment
- Shelter against the rain for bigger events: The meeting
rejected any quick decision to proceed with a permanent covering,
but instead discussed some innovative ideas about temporary
coverings that might be light, easy to construct and able to
shelter participants and audiences. They didn't know what that
might look like, or even if it is possible, but agreed to find out
more.
They decided that a lot more consultation is going to be needed
rather than any quick decisions, so their follow up design day on
the 27th of September has been postponed, and they are
asking people to instead to complete an online survey to say what they think of
the ideas so far, and to add any others.