A churchyard “history hub”, a new access point into Ramparts Walk and a new look church “square” are all part of the £3m-plus project to create a nationally acclaimed heritage site in Totnes.

The major scheme would save the town’s crumbling 15th-century town-centre church, which is currently on the Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

It has also been designed to open up one of the most historic parts of the town centre, stretching from the High Street Elizabethan buildings to the 900-year-old Guildhall complex.

Consultation began last year and the latest proposals for the project have now been drawn up ready for a fresh round of consultations.

The plans, which have been put together by a partnership consisting of Totnes Trust, St John’s with Bridgetown Parochial Church Council and Totnes Town Council, will be on display at St Mary’s Church and The Mansion as part of a consultation exercise stretching over four days in this month and March.

The consultation exhibition at St Mary’s Church between 10am and 5pm will be going ahead on February 22 and 23, while the exhibition at The Mansion will take place at the same times on March 2 and 3.

A spokesman for the project explained: “The state of the exterior of the church is so poor that it has been placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, and extensive repairs are the first priority for the partners.

“Internally, the PCC aims to make the church welcoming, warm and useable for the community, with better facilities for meetings and performances, and up-to-date catering and toilet facilities.

“Light-touch improvements to the churchyard landscaping would make it more inviting and accessible as the peaceful green space which the town centre so badly needs. St Mary’s Lawn, with seating where the views can be enjoyed, could be a great asset available for fetes and similar events. St Mary’s Wildflower Meadow could be a feast for the eyes in spring and summer.

“This programme has seen the partnership carrying out historical, archaeological and surveying work to bring ‘heritage to life’. It is even hoped that the remains of Totnes Priory, which lie below the churchyard, can be discovered with ground penetrating radar.

“A new path through the churchyard is intended to link through the History Hub to access the Guildhall via a ramp into Guildhall Yard.

“With the help of good signposting throughout the precinct, it is hoped that this attractive new route will be more inviting for townsfolk and tourists alike, bringing the historic seat of governance more into the mainstream of life in the town.“

The cost of the work on St Mary’s Church is likely to come to some £2.5m while the cost of work around the historic building is likley to total more than £700,000.

Pointing to the two consultation sessions, the spokes­man said: “The partnership’s proposals have been developed with the community. Ideas presented for the first public consultation in June 2017 were well received, and the feedback has helped develop more detailed designs. Everyone is welcome to attend and have their say at exhibitions.”