Jim Parker: Could it be back to the future for the seafront Esplanade?

The seafront hotel has been in the news ever since its owners agreed to take in asylum seekers after striking a deal with the Home Office.
The move caused major concerns for Torbay Council and the Bay's tourism industry with the Esplanade slap bang in the middle of a core holiday area - and especially with the Fragrance Group investing millions of pounds in its two new hotels just along the promenade.
The Town Hall was also hit in the pocket as it transpired some of the seekers were, in fact, juveniles and their care added hundreds of thousands of pounds to children's services budgets. The council even sought a judicial review to overturn the Home Office move but it failed.
I gather for the past few months the council has been a lot more pro-active on the issue of planning enforcement relating to the Esplanade being used for longer term, rather than tourist accommodation.
I understand there may have been a move for a planning application to get temporary permission to convert the hotel to residential use. That would have had little chance of succeeding.
And, perhaps, that is why there may be some hope of seeing the Esplanade back doing what it does best - taking in guests.
For it has been revealed that the hotel has now been put up for sale by its owners,with the sales pitch indicating the contract with the Home Office is up this month. It has an asking price of £1.650,000 and is on the market with Christies.
The for sale details describe the hotel as having 84 en suite bedrooms, with a restaurant, lounge and ballroom. It is an end of terrace building constructed around 1860, converted into a hotel in the early 20th Century and extended in the late 1980s.
The website says 'the hotel has historically focused on accommodating coach groups but currently has a home office contract in place until September 2023'.
The sales guide states that the hotel is 'free and clear of current management and branding' which could indicate that it would be vacated when sold, openng the way for a new owner and a new future for the Esplanade.
Torbay MP Kevin Foster has been monitoring the Esplanade for several months.
He says: "I welcome news the Esplanade Hotel is now up for sale. A hotel is not a home and this building was never designed to be a place for longer term accommodation, hence the issues caused for neighbouring businesses by using it as such. I hope new owners, who will respect this location as part of Paignton’s core tourism area, are soon in place.”
He added: "Since May, the new Conservative leadership of Torbay Council has been pro-active in pursuing planning enforcement action and in dealing with the issues created by the attempt to convert this hotel into longer term accommodation. This latest news is an encouraging sign, but I will continue working with the council’s leadership and the local community until there is an owner with a positive vision in place for this site.”
Interestingly, the Esplanade's sister hotel, the Torbay across the Bay in Torquay, also recently appeared very briefly for sale with a price tag of £4,950,000. I gather this has now been taken off the market.
Going back to Esplanade and that sales pitch, it says: "The business would be well suited for continued use to capitalise on booming tourist trade in this region."
And that's why it should have never been used as a refuge for asylum seekers in the first place!