Block Management in Totnes
206 listed buildings front one continuous thoroughfare, from Bridgetown to Cistern Street.
Totnes RMCs, RTM companies and freeholders can bring us in to manage a block end to end, from leases and accounts to repairs. The council's appraisal counts 438 listed buildings in the parish, six of them grade I, and many of the town's flats are in converted buildings rather than purpose-built blocks. On the Dart, a 3.8 million pound defence protects more than 400 homes and businesses.
What We Would Put First for a Block in Totnes
Establish Demises in Converted Buildings
In the Totnes ward 381 flats are not purpose-built: 146 in a converted or shared house, 145 in another converted building and 90 over commercial premises. For a converted block we would establish the demise from the leases and plans before setting the service charge.
Leasehold managementObtain Listed Consents Before Specifying
The appraisal records 438 listed buildings in the parish, 412 inside the conservation area, among them six grade I and 28 grade II star. We would obtain listed building and conservation consents before specifying works and build that time into Section 20 consultation.
Major works and Section 20Fire Risk Assessments for Non-Standard Layouts
With 145 flats in other converted buildings, such as former schools, churches or warehouses, and 90 over commercial premises, shared demises and non-standard compartmentation are common. We would commission fire risk assessments that address those layouts directly.
Fire risk assessmentsRecord the Dart Warning Area
The tidal River Dart at Totnes warning area covers Coronation Road, New Walk, Warland, Ticklemore Street, The Plains and Steamer Quay. For a block on those streets we would record the defence and warning area when placing insurance.
InsuranceManaging a Block in Totnes at a Glance
- Local authority
- South Hams District Council
- Authority type
- District, under the county council
- Building control
- South Hams District Council Building Control
- County
- Devon
- Fire and rescue service
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
- Water and sewerage
- South West Water
- From our Plymouth office
- About 20 miles in a straight line
- Setting
- Inland
What It Costs to Move a Block in Totnes to Us
Management is a fixed annual fee, quoted for the building and agreed before we start. We take no commission and no third-party incentives, so the fee is the whole of what we earn from the building. Taking a block on carries a one-off start-up fee, set by size:
| Block size | Fee |
|---|---|
| Start-up fee, up to 10 units | £420.00 |
| Start-up fee, up to 25 units | £540.00 |
| Start-up fee, 50 units and above | £660.00 |
Taken from our published Additional Services price list, PBM Form #01-27 rev.6, effective 23 June 2025. All fees quoted are inclusive of VAT. See the full price list and how a handover works.
206 Listed Buildings Front a Single Thoroughfare
One area, and it has grown repeatedly. It was first designated on 11 July 1969 by the county council and extended on 3 October 1985, twice in 1992, and again on 8 February 2007. The appraisal is published in five parts covering the general area, Fore Street, High Street, Rotherfold and Bridgetown, with a separate management plan. External works to a block inside the area should be specified against the relevant part of the appraisal before major works consultation.
This is the fact that changes how a block here is managed. The council's own appraisal records 438 listed buildings in the parish, of which 412 are inside the conservation area. Exactly half of them, 206, front the continuous thoroughfare of Bridgetown, Fore Street, High Street and Cistern Street. The appraisal describes these as one of the most, if not the most, impressive concentrations of listed buildings in any English country town. Six are grade I: St Mary's Church, the Castle, the Guildhall, the Eastgate, the Museum at 70 Fore Street and Bogan House at 43 High Street. 28 more are grade II star and 378 grade II. There are four scheduled monuments inside the area as well. Listed building consent needs to be obtained before works are specified, and that time built into any major works programme.
381 Flats Sit Outside Purpose-Built Blocks
Much of it is not purpose-built. At the 2021 Census 605 of the 4,337 households in the Totnes ward were in purpose-built blocks, but a further 381 flats were not. Of those, 146 were in a converted or shared house, 145 in another converted building such as a former school, church or warehouse, and 90 over commercial premises. In a town of 412 listed buildings in the conservation area, that usually means shared demises and non-standard compartmentation. Converted blocks need their demise established from the leases and plans, and fire risk assessments that address their layouts.
A 3.8 Million Pound Scheme Protects over 400 Properties
Tidal and fluvial together on the Dart. The Environment Agency's warning area is named the tidal River Dart at Totnes and covers Broad Marsh industrial estate, Coronation Road, New Walk, Warland, Ticklemore Street, The Plains and Steamer Quay. There is a completed and costed defence. The agency puts the estimated cost of the works at 3.8 million pounds, protecting more than 400 homes and businesses across Broadmarsh, the historic centre, Steamer Quay and Queensmarsh. The original scheme dates from 1980, and planning permission for the upgrade was granted in 2017. By October 2018 only snagging and individual property protection remained. Before the upgrade the agency put the annual chance of flooding at those locations at 10 per cent. For a block on the named streets, the defence and the warning area should both be recorded when insurance is placed.
Modest Radon, Below the Wider TQ9 District
Modest. UKHSA's 2016 data report records 1,000 homes measured in the Totnes ward with 26 at or above the action level. The arithmetic mean was 51 becquerels per cubic metre and the highest single result 580. The wider TQ9 postcode district runs higher at 170 exceedances from 2,800 results, so the town reads better than its district. Radon is still worth measuring in ground floor flats and communal areas, given that single high result.
Neighbourhood Plan Adopted After a November 2023 Referendum
Decided under the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan 2014 to 2034, adopted by South Hams on 21 March 2019. The Totnes Neighbourhood Plan was adopted on 30 November 2023 following a successful referendum on 16 November 2023; the council publishes the outcome but not the vote counts. No Article 4 direction is recorded for the district. Alterations to a block are judged against the joint local plan and the neighbourhood plan together.
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Totnes Questions
How Well Defended Is Totnes Against the Tidal Dart?
The Environment Agency puts the estimated cost of the works at 3.8 million pounds, protecting more than 400 homes and businesses across Broadmarsh, the historic centre, Steamer Quay and Queensmarsh. The original scheme dates from 1980, permission for the upgrade came in 2017, and by October 2018 only snagging and property protection remained. Before the upgrade, the annual chance of flooding there was put at 10 per cent.
What Does Radon Data Show for Totnes?
It reads modest. UKHSA's 2016 data report records 1,000 homes measured in the Totnes ward with 26 at or above the action level. The arithmetic mean was 51 becquerels per cubic metre and the highest single result 580. The wider TQ9 postcode district runs higher at 170 exceedances from 2,800 results, so the town reads better than its district.
Which Planning Documents Apply in Totnes?
The Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan 2014 to 2034, adopted by South Hams on 21 March 2019, applies. So does the Totnes Neighbourhood Plan, adopted on 30 November 2023 after a referendum on 16 November 2023 whose vote counts are not published. No Article 4 direction is recorded for the district. The conservation area appraisal comes in five parts with a separate management plan.
Nearby Areas
Talk to Us About Your Building in Totnes.
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