DETAILED PROJECT PLAN HLF Programme Area Area Programme Title A B C D E
Main Area (tick one box only)
Conserving or restoring the built and natural features that create the historic landscape character. Increasing community participation in local heritage Increasing access to and learning about the landscape and its heritage Increasing training opportunities in local heritage skills Scheme staffing, overheads and running costs
Links to Other Areas
PC8
Postbridge Visitor Centre ©DNPA
Heading Summary
Content The development of the National Park Visitor Centre at Postbridge as the Dartmoor hub for cultural heritage and specifically the main focus for the finds and story of the Whitehorse Hill Cist.
Project description
Dartmoor’s rich cultural heritage is not widely appreciated and often overlooked by both locals and visitors alike. The National Park Visitor Centre at Postbridge, one of three Visitor Centres operated by the Dartmoor National Park Authority, lies at the heart of the Landscape Partnership area. Ensuring that Postbridge Visitor Centre is enhanced will ensure that the Visitor Centre becomes a ‘destination’ where people can understand and appreciate the special qualities of the National Park. Furthermore, a more engaging Visitor Centre and associated opportunities for walking will ensure a longer dwell time and hence a wider local economic benefit. The significance of the Whitehorse Hill finds and associated promotion and publicity is likely to lead to significant interest in visiting the area. Dartmoor
Visitors will need a starting point and a reference for their visit and so placing the Whitehorse Hill story in the wider context of the cultural heritage of the area will allow for greater exploration and an extended stay on Dartmoor. Working with key partners, the project aims to: enhance the Postbridge Visitor Centre and its immediate environment as a learning and engagement resource for visitors and the local community showcase Postbridge as the premier reference point for understanding the importance of the bronze age and in particular Whitehorse Hill develop the Postbridge Visitor Centre as a starting point and springboard for experiencing the area’s natural and cultural richness and diversity through interpretation and walking opportunities. In turn this will improve visitors understanding of the area’s special qualities. enhance and effectively integrate learning, experiential and engagement opportunities within the heart of the Landscape Partnership area The Postbridge Visitor Centre enhancement project has been identified as a year two programme. Leading up to Autumn/Winter 2015 the National Park Authority will be working with local stakeholders to ensure that the designs and plans for the physical enhancement and setting are fully engaged with the Moor than meets the eye Interpretation Strategy and the Postbridge and Bellever Landscape and Access Plan. On-going work with Plymouth City Museum will ensure that the best interpretation and most appropriate display units are identified for the enhanced Visitor Centre. NB Plymouth City Museum will be holding a major Whitehorse Hill exhibition in the autumn of 2014. Surveys will be taken out at the Visitor Centre to assess the impact and success of the ‘History Hunters’ programme and also 2014 Bellever Day. A Whitehorse Hill guide will be produced in 2014, which as well as involving key partners and the community in engaging with, and understanding and sharing, the significance and value of the area will also provide a revenue stream The experience acquired from the Princetown Visitor Centre enhancement in the Spring of 2014 will be used to ensure that the enhancements to Postbridge are delivered on-time and within budget. Once the Postbridge Visitor Centre enhancement has been completed, by Easter 2016, there will be a number of activities to encourage local and visitor engagement. This will be allied to a promotional campaign to ensure that as wide an audience as possible understands and appreciates the opportunities available at Postbridge. Dartmoor
The Postbridge Walks leaflet will be updated to reflect the Landscape and Access plan and will generate a further revenue stream for the National Park Authority and local businesses. Car park, Visitor Centre and footpath counter data will be used to assess the impact of the enhancement of the Visitor Centre.
Beneficiaries and communication
First and foremost visitors to the area will be given the opportunity to understand and appreciate the rich and extensive cultural heritage of the area through interpretation inside and outside the National Park Visitor Centre. There will also be a number of opportunities for visitors to explore the area, identified through the Bellever and Postbridge Landscape and Access Plan, which cater for the constraints of time, ability and desire. The local community will benefit through greater understanding of the area by visitors, increased walking opportunities and increased dwell time of visitors, leading to increased local spend. The significance of the Whitehorse Hill finds will ensure that educational users as well as academics will use the Postbridge Visitor Centre as their starting point for enhanced learning. The National Park Authority will benefit from increased footfall to the Visitor Centre from visitors and locals alike both understanding the special qualities of the National Park and increased spend through associated merchandising. Key Messages The visitor centre is a resource for visitors and the local community The visitor centre will be the starting point for finding out and understanding the Bronze Age landscape of Dartmoor and in particular discovering more about the spectacular finds at Whitehorse Hill The visitor centre has an important role in helping a wider range of people to discover the Dartmoor Story Communications The National Park will produce a guide to the Whitehorse Hill finds (2014) and a more generic ‘destination’ guide to the Visitor Centre. The visitor centre will be supported by a range of interpretive media to spread the message about Dartmoor. In particular it will be supported by the Dartmoor Story web pages being developed as part of the scheme and the Dartmoor Story App. The project will be supported by the MTMTE website which will be updated regularly to give people more information about the progress of this project.
Dartmoor
Project buy-in
A series of local consultations took place in 2013 with the Postbridge community to ensure that the plans for the Postbridge Visitor Centre were right in scale and ambition. Further 1:1 consultations with a number of local businesses and interest groups highlighted the importance of the Visitor Centre acting as the centrepiece for the Whitehorse Hill interpretation and remains. The architect’s designs have been shared with the local community and were available at the Postbridge Visitor Centre for inspection. Bellever Day in July 2013 highlighted the general public’s appetite for a greater understanding of the area’s cultural heritage. Plymouth City Museum, English Heritage and National Park staff have worked closely to ensure that the Whitehorse Hill finds are presented in a manner that ensures their safekeeping and that the associated interpretation is accessible to a wide audience.
Project lead
Richard Drysdale, Visitor Services Manager, DNPA
Partners / contractors etc.
Dartmoor National Park Authority, local residents and businesses, Forestry Commission
Project development
This project is similar to the original proposal. A strong theme for the centre based around celebrating the finds at Whitehorse Hill has been developed in response to the local community.
Activities and Timetable
Autumn 2015: Working with Plymouth City Museum to explore the most appropriate and compelling presentation of the Whitehorse Hill artefacts Winter 2015: Publication of an enhanced Postbridge and Bellever walks leaflet. Autumn 2015- Spring 2016: Renovation and facelift of Postbridge Visitor Centre and area in the immediate vicinity Easter 2016: Opening of the ‘Whitehorse Hill Story’ at Postbridge Visitor Centre Summer 2016: Series of activities and events relaying the Dartmoor bronze age story and exploring its treasures Summer 2016 onwards: visitor and local evaluations of the interpretation and access enhancements.
Dartmoor
Y1
Activity Timeline 7
8
9
10
11
12
Y2 1
2
3
4
5
6
Q1
Q2
Q3
Y3 Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Y4 Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Y5 Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
PC8 Postbridge Visitor Centre a. Project Planning Team b. Planning Permission/detailed architects drawings c. DNPA Planning Meeting d. Tender for building contract e. Award Building Contract f. Projected Building Work g. Delivery and fit of Interpretation materials h. Open Centre i. Launch Whitehorse Hill exhibition Working with Plymouth City Museum presentation of the Whitehorse Hill artefacts Publication of an enhanced Postbridge and Bellever walks leaflet Activities and events relaying the Dartmoor bronze age story and exploring its treasures
Dartmoor
Budgets
Cost Breakdown Building works (external and internal) - £150,000 Interpretation and retail enhancement - £40,000
Estimated Total Cost VAT
Cost: £190,000 a. Is VAT applicable? YES
Lead Partner Contribution s
Other Contribution s
Moor than meets the eye contribution Outputs
Contingency: b. Is VAT reclaimable? YES
c. VAT amount: £0
Type:
Secured:
Unsecured:
Cash (source): DNPA
£100,000
£0
Staff:
£0
£0
Volunteers:
£0
£0
In-kind: DNPA
£5,080
£0
TOTAL:
£105,080
£0
Type:
Secured:
Unsecured:
Cash (source):
£0
£0
Staff (source):
£00
£0
Volunteers (source):
£0
£0
In-kind (source):
£0
£0
TOTAL:
£0
£0
Contribution:
Intervention Rate (%)
£84,920
45%
Increased visitor numbers to Visitor Centre Increased use of car park Sales of Whitehorse Hill Guide Sales of Postbridge and Bellever Walks leaflet and/or download Positive feedback from visitor survey forms Positive feedback from local stakeholders
Output indicators and targets
55,000 people use Postbridge Visitor Centre in 2016/17 – 10% increase based on 2012/13 (April-March) baseline figure. 5% increase in footpath counter figures in 2016 in comparison to 2015 10% increase sales of Postbridge Walks leaflet and Whitehorse Hill Guide from 2014/15 figure.
Outcomes
More people and a wider range of people have engaged with heritage People will have learnt about heritage Raised visitor awareness of the cultural heritage of Dartmoor and in Dartmoor
particular the importance of Whitehorse Hill. Increased visitor engagement in local walks and associated dwell time Increased engagement with local stakeholders Evidence
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Physical counters within car park, Visitor Centre and footpaths Evaluation forms within the Visitor Centre Sales of associated publications Evaluations with local stakeholders each year. Enhancements to Visitor Centre
This will be complemented by monitoring and evaluation undertaken as part of the ongoing monitoring of the MTMTE scheme. Wider context
The project has strong links with many projects in the scheme. In particular PB1 Bellever and Postbridge Trails and PC1 Discovering the Dartmoor Story It also links strongly with PA2 Haymeadows PA5 Unveiling the heritage of the High Moor and Forests PC6 Heritage Trails
Legacy and maintenance of benefits
The exploration of the cultural heritage of the area will lead to a greater understanding of the special qualities of the National Park and also a wider local economic benefit. To ensure increased understanding, the National Park Authority will actively consider increased opening hours during the winter period. This will be allied to increasing revenue within the Visitor Centre by offering appropriate themed retail material inked to the Whitehorse Hill discovery; an expanded Bellever and Postbridge walks leaflet sold by National Park Visitor Centres as well as local outlets.
Risks and Risk Mitigation
Risk Register Risk Severity
Likelihood
No buy-in from local community for proposed design and project scope
M
L
H
L
H
L
Proposed plans are not granted planning permission No contractor found to
Measures Undertaken The aims and objectives of the Postbridge Visitor centre upgrade have been extensively discussed with the local community, local organisations and relevant National Park staff. The final designs will proceed once a majority agreement is reached. Work to date has involved the relevant planning authority and the footprint of the building will not change in any wholesale manner. The local buy-in as above will hold significant weight at the point of planning decision. As a year two project, the lead in time means that liaison with the architect and quantity surveyor already Dartmoor
deliver work to time and budget
Background information
undertaken has identified an appropriate design to match the budget. A timetable of works has been established to ensure planning permission has been granted, tenders sought and work delivered. Recognising the vagaries of the weather, the programme of works does allow for some time delay. The Building associated programme of events and works not opening will not be scheduled within completed six weeks of the proposed finish to on time M M allow for reasonable delays. The contract will be awarded to the company that meets all the specified requirements of the contract including delivering within budget. Reasonable additional costs will be able to be met Over budget M L through the overall scheme. The discussions already undertaken will ensure that if the Whitehorse Hill No artefacts are not suitable for display agreement at Postbridge (due to the display on requirements) then replicas will be Whitehorse commissioned and given on loan to Hill artefacts M M the display. Postbridge Visitor Centre already receives in the region of 50,000 visitors per annum and much of the coach trade is repeat annual visits. The publicity and promotional Not programme around Whitehorse Hill attracting will generate significant interest and visitors M L visits. Working with Plymouth Museum, Dartmoor National Park Authority will have a robust retail strategy to ensure that associated items for sale are of an appropriate quality and Lack of relevance and we will have had more income from than 18 months market research with associated Plymouth Museum and National Park sales L L Visitor Centre, Princetown. This supports the DNPA management plan in its ambitions for high quality communications to increase understanding of Dartmoor, high quality learning experiences for people of all ages, a variety of opportunities for everyone seeking inspiration, peace and active recreation, and encouraging all forms of tourism. It also supports the management plan in providing another dimension to broad ranging economic activity supporting Dartmoor’s special qualities. The proposed improvements are also fully cognisant of the Moor Than Meets The Eye Interpretation Strategy and the Postbridge and Bellever Landscape and Access Plan. Dartmoor
Dartmoor
