KEVICC intends to sell off a number of plots of land on their site to finance much needed renovations to the school, something that as a parent of a child at a local primary school I am only too aware and supportive of. 

One of the plots identified for sale is the lower field on the north side of Ashburton Road, between Swallowfields and Weirfields, and including the derelict Elmhirst building.

The land was gifted by the Elmirst family of Dartington Hall for the town to use as an open recreational space. The field has continually been used by the community as such ever since, clearly demonstrating the need for it and its value to the town.

The lower field at KEVICC is an important part of the fabric of our town and the proposed sale of this land for development is of great concern for all of us who value our green spaces and Totnes' identity as a beautiful, verdant, and unurbanised town.

Whilst we are surrounded by open space in Totnes, most of it is privately owned, and it is not hard to envision much of it being lost over the next decade to housing development. This is why I believe it is vital that KEVICC accept the offer made by Totnes Town Council to purchase the land on behalf of the town and allow it to continue to function as an open and green space for the whole community to enjoy.

Totnes already lacks in provision for our children, teenagers, and young adults, and a visit to the lower field after school or on a weekend shows that many of our younger residents make regular use of the field. Similarly, it is a popular spot for sports in the town. If the field is lost where do all these people go? The Town Council proposal includes plans to redevelop the Elmhirst building as a community recreation and arts centre to provide better access to the river (and alleviate the parking problems on Swallowfields), and income generated by the site from parking, leisure and the Elmhurst Building, ensures that the purchase of the land pays for itself over the next 50 years becoming a financial benefit to the town of Totnes.

In this scenario, the school still gets the money it needs, the 130 houses earmarked for the KEVICC site can still be built on the other parcels of land for sale, and the town not only gets to retain an historic and essential asset, but also gets to improve it and ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy it.

Please sign this petition so that as a community we can show the school and Devon County Council our desire to retain the land as an open space for all.

For more information on the Town Council's proposal see this Totnes Times article

If you'd like to donate to help the cause, please visit our GoFund Me page, any donations made via change.org goes to Change, not the WTF Why This Field campaign group.