Torquay Town Centre Place Vision

1.    that, subject to
including Cary Green as a green space for public realm
improvements, the use of the Torquay Vision document (as set out at
Appendix 1) to steer both the delivery of current regeneration
sites and the development of future proposals for the sites and
areas of public realm identified by the vision as suggested
priorities be approved;

2.    that delegated authority
be given to the Director of Pride in Place to make minor amendments
to the vision in consultation with the Leader of the Council,
noting that any proposed substantial amendments will be presented
to Cabinet for approval.

To respond to the
recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Board and to provide a
guiding document to:

·        
increase investment in our three towns to enable them to develop
their own distinct identities and role;

·        
attract, retain, and grow our economic specialisms so we have
growth which builds on our reputation;

·        
create a future pipeline of investment priorities derived from the
evidence used to produce the Visions and from our emerging Economic
Plan.

Option 1 – Do
Nothing – This would have resulted in handing back the OPE 8
funding allocated for the purpose of producing a strategy of for
Transforming Torbay.

Option 2 – Take
a statutory Masterplanning approach by
updating the current adopted Masterplans for Paignton and Torquay
Town Centres. This would have taken a longer period of time and not
covered the wider Torbay area and been subject to a length
statutory consultation period. With the current Government
requiring that all Local Plans were to be updated by the end of the
current parliament the visions along with the new Local Plan can
inform the need to update or supersede the current town centre
Masterplans.

Option 3 – The
preferred option – produce vision documents for; Torbay, Brixham
Port and Town Centre, Paignton Town Centre and Harbour and Torquay
Town Centre and Harbour.

This decision will
come into force and may be implemented on 2 September 2025 unless
the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in the Standing
Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

The successful bids
for Future High Streets Funding, Town Deal, Levelling Up
Partnership, Levelling Up Round 3 (LUF3), and the recent direct
award through the Plans for Neighbourhoods, in addition to the
development sites acquired by the Council since 2019, had created
the need for a place vision that links the funding and assets
(development sites) together. This would create a clear vision of
how development sites work together to regenerate Torbay as whole,
and at local level to address both the needs and exploit the
opportunities of the economies of Brixham Port and Town Centre,
Paignton Town Centre and Harbour and Torquay Town Centre and
Harbour. Change will come through using the overall vision across
Torbay to shape existing and future proposals in line with the
vision for Torbay and at a local level in more detailed the visions
for Brixham, Paignton and Torquay.

As the development
proposals for the sites in Torquay were the most advanced, the
Torquay vision had been produced iteratively with the delivery of
Harbour Public Realm and its positive outcomes, the development of
the site proposals for Union Square, The Strand and the restoration
of the Pavilion and emerging ideas for Lower Union Lane and Fleet
Street/Fleet Walk.

The Overview and
Scrutiny Board considered the Torquay Town Centre Place Vision
report on 13 August 2025 and made recommendations to
Cabinet.  At the meeting Councillor
Chris Lewis proposed and Councillor
David Thomas seconded a motion that was agreed unanimously by the
Cabinet, as set out above.