Feilding Town Centre 2040

The Feedback So Far (15 November 2018)

Public consultation began on 9th of October 2018. As at 13 November we have had:

• 3 public workshops,
• 8 Community Committee workshops and a Nga Manu Taiko Committee workshop,
• 2 stalls at the Feilding Farmers Market
• (and there are still lots of opportunities for your input)

From these sessions we have received a total of 1559 sticky notes full of ideas and feedback on what you like and what you want to change about Feilding, and 341 feedback points on the 3 other themed questions (see below). We’ve also had a few lively Facebook conversations. All of the feedback so far has been summarised below.

Our submission period is open until the 23rd of November. As the feedback comes in we will incorporate it into what we have so far. New themes may emerge or priorities may shift as we get more input.

All of these community ideas will contribute to a community vision for Feilding 2040. The development of this vision will involve further discussion with the community in early 2019.

(A note on how we have analysed all the feedback: The bullet points in the table below are those that showed up in at least 4 post-it notes. The points/ideas that were repeated ten or more times are in bold. If an idea/point was repeated less than four times it doesn’t appear in Table 1.)

For this update, new info is included in RED.

Part 1

Table 1: Summary of feedback received (as at 13 November 2018)

Theme	Q.1 - What we like (existing)	Q.2 - What we want to change (future)	Feedback summary
BUILT FEATURES / AMENITIES	Clock Tower Friday market Saleyards Manfeild Focal Point Statues/sculptures/memorials Public toilets	Youth focussed events and activities CBD stage/entertainment space CBD seats and tables CBD residential options (1st floor and up only) CBD visitor accommodation options More central library (in the Feilding Hotel) Covered areas in the CBD Lighting (both practical and creative) Electric vehicle charging stations Not mentioned this round: New sports facilities, particularly basketball courts Recycling bins Sunshades	There was an increase in comments wanting more outdoor space in the CBD for socialising and flexible community use. Many of these were consistent with the first 3 bullets in the middle column. Amongst those comments: There was a continued desire for more children or youth focussed events and activities, including better playground facilities for the “tween” age-group. There was a high level of interest in events in the CBD and the facilities to support it. There continues to be a strong affection for the Clock Tower, the Friday Market and the Saleyards. This round there was an increase in comments of appreciation about the statues/sculptures/memorials. There were only a few comments about residential/visitor accommodation options in the CBD.
ACCESSIBILITY	No significant change from last time No traffic (good flow, roundabouts, no traffic lights, shared traffic/pedestrian space) Simple and easily accessible Good walking access, everything within easy reach Compact	Make the CBD pedestrian only Cycle lanes - Generally more cycle friendly, more tracks/facilities Courtesy crossings cause confusion Accessible footpaths (wide and suitable for all generations and abilities) Change / remove railway line Improve traffic flow especially around the town end of Kimbolton Road More public transport options in and around Feilding	This time the focus was on: A pedestrian- only (or similar) CBD More cycling infrastructure Public transport options A Facebook discussion about the use of E scooters revealed a range of opinions.
VISUAL IMPACT	Pretty gardens Open spaces Tidy, clean and well maintained Green spaces/trees Pride in the Square	Expressions of our Māori heritage Art and cultural elements Consider both practical and creative lighting in the CBD	There was no substantial change in the themes identified for the CBD last time. The themes have remained: Enjoyment of flowers/gardens/ green and open spaces Tidy, clean and well maintained Desire for more art and culture (including Māori) features The only addition was several comments that appreciated the pavement design/brick work.
EVENTS	General positive enthusiasm for events currently held in the CBD	Regular events Live music events/ festivals	Continuing enthusiasm for the current events in the CBD and a desire to see more.
PARKING	Lots of (free) parking	More CBD parking Provide parking for CBD staff Suggestions for possible parking restrictions in the future	There is a high level of support for keeping CBD parking free. (This continues) There continues to be 2 “camps” to this issue: Camp 1: “The parking is awesome!” and Camp 2: “The parking is terrible!”
BUILT CHARACTER	No significant change from last time Heritage character of the buildings	Keep and restore heritage Modernise Facades are important to retain (they need a good clean up) Well designed (not fake heritage or ugly modern)	The majority of feedback continues to be in support of keeping and restoring heritage. Support also continues for replacing some with modern buildings. There was a bit more focus on the facades with a desire to retain and/or maintain them.
VIBE	Friendly Feilding Rural feel Keep it as it is	No significant change from last time Refer to “what we want to be known for” below	Respondents identify with the “Friendly Feilding” slogan. Feedback suggests that we also want a family friendly, inclusive community. The rural identity of Feilding received and increase in comments since last time. Several commenters said they want to keep the town centre as it is.
SHOPPING	Positive shopping experience (compact, central, helpful staff, everything you need, good range) Preference for privately-owned (small businesses, boutique) stores in CBD	The key themes arising are: The variety of shops Boutique stores A mall/plaza/complex Big box stores	The post-its were pretty consistent with the previous update, however a lively Facebook discussion about the pros and cons of boutique stores, big box or a plaza type complex has really brought out some mixed opinions. There is significant enthusiasm for the town being known for its boutique shops, while the opinions about the role of big box stores and having a mall are varied.
FOOD	No significant change from last time Cafes and restaurants Good variety	Very little feedback on food outlets this time although general support for some sort of food precinct (like Rotorua’s “Eat Street”).	The themes remain the same... Generally there is support for the current mix and variety of food available in the CBD. There is some desire to grow into a food hub for the Region.

Some out “out of the box” ideas... (keep them coming!!)

Q.3 - “What would you like Feilding’s Town Centre to be known for in the future?”

Some feedback included built features, amenities, infrastructure or events. Other feedback related to the character of buildings or the “look” of the Town. This feedback was incorporated into questions 1 and 2 (above) because the nature of the feedback was consistent with those questions.

The following bullet points summarise the “feel” or “vibe” that the community wants for the Feilding Town Centre:

• A friendly and inclusive community
• Rural pride
• Progressive and innovative
• The most beautiful Town
• Vibrant / fun
• Unique
• An attractive and easy place to be and to visit
• The food hub for the Region

Part 2

So far... participants at the Feilding High School and Feilding Community Workshops were asked to provide their feedback on their thoughts about the future of Feilding...

THEME 1: Look and Feel of Feilding’s Town Centre

• We value the town’s heritage and have an emotional attachment to some buildings.
• There is a desire for authentic restoration of heritage buildings and a dislike for new buildings that are ‘fake heritage.’
• There was some support for having a mix of heritage and modern buildings. However, new buildings need to be done well, based on design guidelines.
• There is a strong desire to fill vacant buildings and a general desire to ‘spruce up’ or revitalise existing buildings in the CBD.
• Buildings of particular importance in the Feilding CBD
  • The Feilding Hotel
  • The Terry Urquhart Building
  • The Saleyards
  • Smiths Corner
  • Early Rangitikei Club
  • Gentleman’s Club
  • Court House
  • Denbigh Hotel

THEME 2: What uses do we want in Feilding’s Town Centre?

• A lively, social town culture
• An openness to the idea of residential use of the CBD but some questions around the practicalities
• Individual/boutique shops. “Big box”. Mixed views.
• All age-friendly
• Saleyards/agribusiness

THEME 3: Getting around Feilding’s Town Centre - transport & infrastructure

• Public transport options
• Parking - keep free, central availability, parking building? Reduce heavy traffic through town. Will we need more or less with changing transport technology?
• Electric vehicle charging stations
• Provision for cyclists

For Further Discussion...

There were several issues where there was quite a variance of opinion in the feedback. We think the issues are worth further discussion with the community so put your thinking cap on and watch this space...

• Location of the library - Current location? Centre of CBD? Somewhere else?
• “Big box” shops - do we want them in Feilding? In town, on the fringe of town or further out?
• Parking? - Enough? Not enough? What are the specific problems?
• Shared pedestrian/traffic spaces - some people like them, some people don’t. What are the issues? What are some solutions?
• Roundabouts - some people like them, some people don’t. What are the issues? What are some solutions?

Click here to view the previous results (26 October 2018)