• Property Update

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Dartmouth Market
Dartmouth Market
Royal Avenue Gardens toilets
Coronation Park toilets

DARTMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL PROPERTY UPDATE

With Dartmouth Town Council planning a number of major property renovation projects around town this year, it was thought that residents would appreciate a detailed update on planned works and their timings.

Dartmouth Town Council has earmarked funds for a number of maintenance and refurbishment projects that are due or even overdue. Most of these projects should have been either completed or be ongoing by now. Unfortunately we have not been living in normal times and consequently “the best laid plans of mice and men” have needed to be adjusted.

Many of Dartmouth’s property assets are either grade 1 or grade 2 listed, are in the Dartmouth Conservation Area and in the designated Area of Outstanding National Beauty. Refurbishment and repair of such building is not straight forward, it requires multiple permissions, specialist materials, specialist companies employing skilled craftsmen. In addition some work can only be carried out at certain times of the year, for example traditional lime washing of masonry needs to be carried out in dry conditions. This type of specialist work cannot be carried out by our small in-house team. The Council has to source specialist contractors as well as get best value for taxpayers.

Sometimes priorities change due to urgency. For example the wooden shelter at Dartmouth Castle has had to be removed as it became unsafe. There is a retaining wall at Longcross cemetery that urgently requires repair. Things like this can set back planned projects.

Much of this needed work was identified by Dartmouth Town Council property management team 2 years ago. In the meantime Covid-19 descended upon us. This has undoubtedly had a detrimental effect upon schedules at every stage of any project. The funds were set aside and earmarked but the work could not be progressed as intended. The funds are still there and the work will be carried out now we are emerging from Covid-19 and returning to some semblance of normality.

Some of the projects that residents will see either begin or come to fruition shortly and in the coming 18 months are:

  • Coronation Park toilet refurbishment – underway, scheduled for completion March 2022
  • Market lime render refurbishment – scheduled summer 2022
  • Internal refurbishment of the ballroom floor in the Guildhall
  • Butterwalk properties fire & safety systems – modernisations completion imminent
  • Butterwalk external repair and refurbishment – scheduled for 2022 – 23
  • Boatfloat moorings refurbishment – planned for late 2022
  • Royal Avenue Gardens toilets major refurbishment

In the last 2 years we have experienced some difficult times but Dartmouth residents can be confident the Town Council is aware of the refurbishment needs of the town’s assets, the funds have been earmarked and work is ongoing to get it done.

Dartmouth Town Council
Monday 28th February 2022

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