The Second Battle for Windmill Hill Maurice O’Connell Torbay, Devon
View of the windmill on the edge of Windmill Hill recreation site.
April 2014: I returned from what felt like a boot camp but
Residents
was in fact the first of a series of quite important training.
in numbers and over-
My understanding of Community Organising came from my
whelmingly supported
own encounters in America many years ago. The emphasis on
the pursuit of a lease
listening revealed to me that in truth I was not as good a listener
for
as I thought.
covenant - whichever
turned
residents
or
up
a
was more appropriate. Arriving in Torbay we spent the first weeks testing the water, trying to put into practice what we had learnt so far. The viewing
The mobilisation of the
of communities as not necessarily difficult places, but with
residents was a shock
multiple agendas, was revealing. Positioning myself as a worker
to
on the outside changed everything. I was given an area that had
organisations and council
been through a lot over the years and many interventions had
officers
been made to help improve the quality of life for the community.
Residents set the pace,
all
and off
caught guard.
forcing communication and timetabling for an agreement Quietly I wandered around, knocking on doors, beginning the
with residents to protect the “Windmill Hill”. A month of side
first stages of seeing this community not through my eyes
tracking and procrastination attempted to push the covenant
but the eyes of others and learning very slowly not to create
into the election. Residents began pursuing the Mayor and
impressions based on other opinions.
executive leads responding to their requests. The residents carried out a survey of 400 homes, door knocking and
After avoiding meetings, I then sat in on what I termed as the
speaking to every individual to ensure their voices were heard.
“Second Battle for Windmill Hill”. A protracted process lasting
A 70% return came back with 98% in favour of a covenant
nearly two years had found residents fed up, frustrated and at a
on the land. The covenant is for 100 years to ensure there will
loss as to how to be heard and influence the council’s attempt to
be no development on the site. It will remain an open recreation
transfer a piece of land (not entirely an asset transfer).
space for the surrounding community and will guarantee that no decision can be made again without involving the residents.
Two weeks later I was phoned and asked if I would meet four
The opposition still goaded and even when it went to council
residents and listen to them.
there was an attempt to discredit the residents.
And so began a very extraordinary journey. Working on language,
The residents achieved so much: meeting once or twice a week
behaviour, communication skills and assertiveness, the residents
for ten months, door knocking 400 households, holding two
explored multiple approaches to overcome an impasse which
public meetings, producing two leaflets, carrying out a survey
basically did not want residents to participate in a decision
with a massive return recorded, taking 70 residents to council
about their recreation ground. They would meet with me after
and securing an 100 year lease and surprisingly it was more or
meetings to report on the lack of progress. Each time they ex-
less entirely carried out verbally.
plored other options and finally a straw broke. They knocked on their neighbours’ doors and held a closed public meeting asking
They won the “Battle for Windmill Hill” and they are now setting
for support to redirect the transfer in a way that residents were
in motion further action to ensure residents are always part of
at the centre.
decision making in their community.