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A gabion art trail and a new use for the utility building at the Ham Sensory Garden?

  • by JW

A proposal to the Town Council – and some concerns and questions to be addressed.

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Sidmouth Town Council has its monthly meeting next Monday 4th November – following which the Trustees will have their own busy agenda, including:

The Ham Sensory Garden – Gabion Art Trail

To consider the attached request received from Sidmouth School of Art. This initiative has been discussed with and is supported by the Sidmouth in Bloom committee, see attached copy email. 

The Ham – Expression of Interest for the future use of The Ham Utility Building

Agreement to Lease Macerator Building Members to consider delegated authority being granted to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Council’s legal representative, Chair and Vice Chair to enter into an Agreement for Lease for the former Ham macerator building with Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub for a period of two years to enable them to raise funds to develop the building in line with their plans and submission previously submitted and updated as attached. If funding is successfully raised, a grant of a five year lease would follow. The Council’s legal costs in all these matters to be paid for in full by Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub.

The details of the application follow in the agenda notes – together with visuals for the proposals:

Sidmouth School Of Art

Last winter, the Sidmouth School of Art put on the Sidmouth On Sea – Save Our Sea Winter Lights Festival ’24 – also in the Sensory Garden.

A commentator has sent in these points to consider about this new project proposal:

While I have nothing against public art I do have some concerns about this.

· The sensory garden was designed for people with limited vision, filling the empty space with obstacles seems counter intuitive.

· People with limited vision are unlikely to be able to appreciate visual art. Sculpture would make more sense. I have family members with limited vision and know the problems they encounter.

· They say ‘sponsors’ but this could also cover advertisers. Do we really want advertising hoarding, even at 1 metre cubed, in that space? Even prominent sponsors’s signs could be a problem. Strict controls would need to be in place, therefore this should not be a delegated issue but one for the whole Council.

I am also bearing in mind that the use of their hut in the Fishermen’s Yard has been somewhat controversial because of noise complaints. Do we want the same thing to happen with a ‘space’ at the Sensory Garden?

If the art display is to be at head height, as in the example shown I feel it would disrupt the tranquil feeling of the space. Rubble in wire cages doesn’t go with the carefully built beds in sympathetic materials. If they plan to use pebbles then that becomes a sustainability problem, they either have to be removed from shores or mined. So planning permission might be a problem.
I don’t think they can use the Neighbourhood Plan as a support for the project while ignoring the parts about developments being of good design and in keeping with the surroundings.

As a final point, it has been suggested to STC Cllrs in the past that the Macerator Hut should become toilets: now the ones at Port Royal are being lost this seems even more of a good idea to me. The building is after all attached to the sewerage system. I think we need toilets more than we need art displays.

Cllr Kevin Walker, the VGS/STC representative, will be present at next week’s Town Council meeting and has sent in this comment:

  • My initial inclination is to support these proposals as they would enhance what Sidmouth has to offer both for visitors and residents. This also makes more use of the sensory garden and fits in well with the aspiration of the ‘Access for All’ campaign which aims to make Sidmouth more accessible for those with a range of different disabilities.
  • The point raised about those with visual impairment is an important one and I will aim to raise it at Monday’s meeting. Also, if not raised by my fellow councillors I will try to ensure that issues of noise and toilet provision are also addressed.
  • The Sidmouth School of Art have an excellent track record when it comes to providing innovative public art for Sidmouth so I am confident that the necessary sponsorship will be managed appropriately.
  • Please note that members of the public are most welcome to attend the meeting and raise their concerns too. The Trustees meeting follows that of the full council so it is difficult to say when it will start exactly, best to attend both meetings if you can. I promise it will be more interesting and more relevant to Sidmouth that whatever’s on the telly.

As Cllr Walker says, since all members of the public are welcome, questions from the floor can be made.