PERIOD OF REPORT FROM: 1st February 2001 to 31st March 2001

COMMISSIONED BY: Donald Rae, Assistant Director Lifelong Learning Division

FUNDED IN PARTNERSHIP BY: Derbyshire County Council Regeneration Through Heritage

REPORT COMPILED BY THE TORR VALE MILL REGENERATION PROJECT TEAM

Project Worker: Alicia Ward

IT Consultants: Michelle Stone, Peter A Johnstone

Website Design: Peter A Johnstone

Clerical Support: Cath Crosland

Section One

Torr Vale Mill Regeneration Partnership
outcomes of the Public Meeting
held on Monday 29th January 2001 at New Mills Town Hall

The panel was as follows:

Martin Doughty Chair - Derbyshire County Council
Donald Rae Assistant Director - Lifelong Learning - DCC
Peter Cunningham Managing Director - Chemquip Ltd
Michael Shield Consultant for Torr Vale Mill
Ian Todd Architect for Torr Vale Mill
Stan Brewster Project Manager -Millennium Walkway
Tim Jeffreys Project Engineer -Millennium Walkway

Minutes of this meeting were taken by Ron Astles of Chemquip.

The details of those who took part at this stage were entered onto a database along with those who took part in an earlier survey undertaken as a result of a steering group meeting which took place in December 1999.

Number of people present: 230 (est)

Number of respondents to survey: 48

(Copies of the full responses are available from the project team.)

At the conclusion of the meeting a questionnaire inviting written comments from those present was distributed. Responses to this survey formed a key tool in this initial development phase of the project and the collated results are therefore shown on the following pages of this report.

Type

Type

1. How much revenue will be generated?
    
2. Have the Victorian society been consulted about the refurbishment?
    
3. Could residents from surrounding towns (i.e. Marple) receive more news about developments in New Mills?
    
4. Could the mill building house the new court?
    
5. Could the panel be less male dominated in future?
   

The focus of this period of the development phase of the project is on determining the potential for community use of the mill. An integral feature of this will be the relocation of the existing Derbyshire County Council funded adult community education programme from its current home in what was the lower school site of the secondary school into the mill building. The brief at this point therefore was twofold:

1. To determine potential community group use by making initial contact with as broad a range of groups as possible.
    
2. To develop all aspects of DCC's adult community education programme at the existing site on Springbank, New Mills.
   

Findings

Suitable buildings for community use are scarce within the New Mills area. Many of the organisations contacted will (in the short or long term) lose the buildings they currently use to redevelopment or demolition. Some are working in accommodation which was only intended as a short-term solution and/or have facilities which are inadequate and therefore severely restrict their activities.

Having moved into new accommodation at the lower school site the adult community education programme can now be developed. At the same time as identifying potential users of the mill the opportunity has therefore been taken to develop community use of the existing adult education facilities.

The following Arts based community groups have registered an initial interest in using space within the mill:

High Peak Community Arts

The Association of High Peak Artists and Craft Workers

Derbyshire Environmental Rural Arts

In addition several individual working artists have registered an interest in having working and or gallery space within the mill. These artists have been invited to view the facilities vailable at the lower school with a view to mounting displays/exhibitions.

Stained glass
Antique and furniture restoration
Upholstery and soft furnishings
Textile design
Weaving
 

Performance Arts

By encouraging the use of the existing centre as a base for clubs, organisations and individual tuition it is hoped that the following performance arts activities will be taking place at the centre from September 2001:

Guitar tuition
Line dance
Salsa dance

It has also been suggested that the mill could provide a cultural focus for the community by providing flexible performance space for the following:

local or national touring theatre groups
a cinema
concert facilities
dance facilities

The Historical Aspect

Several of the survey respondents mentioned the contribution which could be made to the mill development in terms of recognising the history of the building. A possible partnership between WEA, The Heritage Centre and Regeneration Through Heritage could result in:

A permanent display/exhibition of the recent working history of the mill.

A photographic exhibition of the development of the Torrs area up to the present day and including the story of the Torrs millennium walkway

A living history project recording the memories of those who live and work locally, including the experiences of the last people to work at the mill before closure

A display of weaving techniques and modern woven pieces

Childcare

Recognising the problem of pre school childcare in the New Mills area, the adult education service provides crèche facilities for its students. This provision will be expanded with the growth in the adult education programme, but has the potential for far greater expansion in the mill building. A bid for accommodation has already been received from a private nursery which would enhance childcare in the area still further.

Conference facilities

Concern was voiced at the public meeting regarding the suggestion that conference facilities be made available as part of the regeneration project. It was decided therefore that, in building up the adult education programme, the facilities of the lower site buildings should be offered as conference/course facilities to other users.
Within only four weeks of offering this accommodation the following groups/organisations have used the buildings:

North Derbyshire Community Health Care Service

Derbyshire Census Training

Derbyshire County Council Property Services Department

Ofsted

Education Welfare Service

Careers Service

Catering demonstrations

All of these users noted the shortage of suitable venues in the New Mills area and were keen to use the venue for the following reasons:

central and accessible
crèche facilities
audio visual resources
comfortable adult venue
on-site parking
refreshments available
central to the High Peak area

Information Technology and e-Learning facilities

New Mills Adult Education centre is the focus for a thriving computer suite offering training in ICT to the local community. Places on these courses are over-subscribed with the only restrictions on growth in this area of the curriculum being the lack of space currently available.

In order to meet community, employment and training needs in this growth area DCC's lifelong Learning Division is working in partnership with the government in a drive to increase e-learning opportunities nationally. The adult centre now has an additional Learndirect e-learning suite offering ICT training at all levels. It also gives the opportunity to gain nationally recognised qualifications in any one of the hundreds of subject specialisms now offered through this medium. As a drop in facility aiming to give maximum flexibility to learners this will be a key focus for ICT programme development at the centre.

Growth in the ICT sector is rapid and the flexibility to respond to new technologies effectively is key to the training needs of the workforce. Clearly, there is potential for development within the mill buildings given the opportunity to install the most innovative technical support infrastructure from the outset.
 

Involving young people and schools in the Torr Vale Mill Regeneration Project

Survey respondents were keen that facilities for young people should be improved as part of the regeneration project and suggested the following:

A track around the land surrounding the mill for roller- skating/boarding/cycling

A seasonal activity such as a mobile outdoor ice rink

An exhibition area for local schools and individual young artists

A performance and rehearsal facility for young local bands

A nature trail/ecology exhibit for young people

Living history opportunities such as 'hands on' weaving displays

In addition to these suggestions it was decided that a competition for local schools should be organised as part of the development brief . Schoolchildren will be able to make their own suggestions, submitting their ideas and designs with the winning entrant being awarded a prize for their school. It is hoped that this will be the beginning of a continuing process of involvement of local young people and ideas are being developed for further initiatives of this kind.

Tourism, Adult Education and the Regeneration Project

Although the development of links between adult education and the High Peak tourist industry is largely undeveloped the potential for successful initiatives in this area is indicated by the success of Saturday schools, weekend field trips and intensive training courses currently offered in the High Peak.

Given the natural beauty of the High Peak there is an opportunity to build on the success of the millennium walkway in promoting the area as a focus for 'educational' and 'heritage' tourism. The regeneration of the mill itself will provide a tourist attraction but this could be widened to provide a benefit to traders and providers of accommodation and other local services. It has also been suggested that the development plan include low cost tourist accommodation such as a youth hostel.

Residential leisure and training courses could therefore be marketed drawing together all of these aspects of the High Peak's attractions for example:

 

Dry stone walling - learn a skill amid the beauty of the Peak landscape

Learn to re-design your garden (includes visits to Chatsworth and Lyme Park)

Painting and drawing (includes visit to the Lowry)

The archaeology of the High Peak

Alternative therapies - aromatherapy and reflexology

Intensive ICT training

Angling and fly-fishing

Maintaining Consultation and Communication with the Community

This was the single most important issue for those who attended the public meeting and has therefore been the principal focus for this phase of the project. Other means of maintaining the support of the local community are being developed and include a website and newsletter.

Overview

The principal features of this phase of the regeneration project have been:

initiation and maintenance of public consultation

development of the adult education programme - including residential education

ICT development

involvement of local schools

marketing and development of conference facilities