The Barnstaple Vision statement

We will restore and strengthen Barnstaple’s status as the heart of civic, commercial, educational, cultural and community life in North Devon in the mid-21st century. This will not be achieved by trying to turn back the clock. We need to make the town centre attractive, appealing and fit for purpose in a new era, reflecting the way we live now. It needs to be resilient in the face of the challenges presented by the digital economy and the attractions of competing locations.

Barnstaple is a handsome town in a beautiful riverside setting. We will mobilise its rich array of heritage assets, ambitious businesses, cultural and community organisations. We will revitalise the iconic Pannier Market and accelerate the revival of Butchers’ Row, establish a sustainable core of high quality retail in the heart of the town, and encourage diversification by regenerating and re-purposing what are now struggling secondary locations. We will encourage public buildings and community uses to cluster in the town centre. We will rebalance the town centre, by reconnecting it to the Taw, restoring place quality and coherence south of the river, and reducing the negative impacts of road traffic and surface parking.

Barnstaple will be recognised as one of England’s liveliest, most attractive and prosperous small towns, the focal point for a large rural hinterland, and an essential part of the North Devon experience for UK and international visitors. The revived town centre will contribute to an enhanced quality of life, and its cosmopolitan appeal will make it an increasingly popular place to live and work, and especially attractive to young people and families.

Read the Barnstaple Vision Summary Brochure.