We, the undersigned, were members of the original group who drafted the TDS.
Over many months, through the means of consultation, we extracted the views and concerns from local residents, businesses and local organisations regarding the new development of our town and surrounding areas, and these views were expressed in our original documentation.

The group comprised of members of the public, town councillors (several of whom were also district councillors at the time), and we had an adviser from the planning department of DDC.

During the long process of drafting and rewriting this statement we were advised to make a number of changes in line with current DDC planning guidelines.
We felt obliged, if we wanted the TDS to be adopted as a planning
document, to make a number of changes or dilute some of our points, but we would not agree to change our point regarding the height of buildings. We were told that if this point was not changed the likelihood would be that the document would not have the support of DDC and would not, therefore, be adopted as a supplementary planning document.

At this point the group decided that the document was at risk of becoming a DDC written document and handed our final version to the town council with the statement that, should further changes be made, our group would not acknowledge these alterations.
We know that the town council has supported our views throughout the whole process and we are pleased that it too is taking a similar stand in disassociating itself from the document if changes are insisted upon.

The definition of 'consultation' is to take counsel, seek information or advice and take into consideration and throughout the whole process we have felt our hands being tied in expressing our very real concerns.
The group accept that changes will have to be made to our town and surrounding areas and our document supports this, but we also feel that it should be done sensitively, taking into account the market town ethos. Other relatively local market towns have managed to keep their uniqueness, why has Daventry to be different?

The skyline is a very important and emotive issue and should not be dismissed.
We are living with the errors already made since the 1960s, including a number of very recent ones.
We have the opportunity to get it right and the views put forward by local residents should be taken into account and not dismissed.

We, as a group, fully support the views as expressed by the town council, as stated in the article published in the Daventry Express, and hope that DDC will take notice and rethink its view of public consultation.
Roy Sharp, Joan Collins, Sue Yates, Bob Waldock
and Ann Pells
Daventry Town Design Statement Group