Jim Parker: Now that's what I call a Plan B - but is Mark off his trolley?

Hats off - and I mean that sincerely - to the hundreds of people who last weekend protested outside the seafront landmark calling for urgent works to saved the listed building.
No doubt, many of them will have been part of the crusade a few years ago now to successfully sink plans for an apartments block/hotel development which would have included the refurbishment of the Pavilion. That boat has long sailed. That's democracy. But my fear at the time was that if there was no 'Plan B' the Pavilion could end up just like those controversial plans. Sunk!
So here we are, with the once famous location suffering years of damage, taking in water and with a repair bill now running into many millions of pounds.
Councillors of all political colours - with a helping hand from Covid and years of frustrating and still-to-be-sorted negotiations over that repair bill with lease-holders MDL - have failed to find an alternative future for the Pavilion.
Even a temporary 'shroud' around the building to protect it from further damage would cost millions - money the Town Hall and public purse simply doesn't have with or without a contribution from the government's Town Deal Funding pot.
Paul Fraser, one of the protest organisers at the weekend, said it was vital to stop the Pavilion suffering more damage while its future is decided. "We need action, and we need it now,” he said.
He said the council should have enforced the terms of its lease with MDL and insisted on repairs.
It would seem that the only viable solution - STILL - is to work with a regeneration partner from the private sector and there may just be some light at the end of the tunnel on that front.
Torbay Council deputy leader Chris Lewis has revealed talks with would-be developers for the Pavilion are at an advanced stage.
He said: "It’s no secret that we are in negotiations with MDL at the moment, and also with developers to see the way forward. That’s quite far down the line, and I am quite optimistic that we will have a solution for the Pavilion. I hope that within the next month or so we will have something to show."
Mark Hoyle has a Plan B up his sleeve. The property manager, who looks after holiday homes in the resort, played a big role in establishing the Torquay Neighbourhood Plan.
His idea would be to move the Pavilion brick-by-brick and rebuild it on the currently-derelict Living Coasts site and turn it into the Bay's equivalent of Cornwall's world-famous Minack Theatre with Agatha Christie plays capturing the imagination of cruise ship visitors just a beach pebble throw away. He reckons the project would tick so many boxes - the Pavilion would be saved; the Living Coasts site (already with car parking, retail and cafe/restaurant) would be brought back into use at the same time relieving land lease-holders the Wild Planet Trust and Paignton Zoo of a massive headache and financial obligation; and allowing for the regeneration of the current Pavilion site with a lower scale development, underground car park and an Isambard Kingdom Brunel Museum!
Mark says: "Key research during the preparation of the draft Torquay Neighbourhood Plan showed one building was holding up the redevelopment of the harbourside; namely the Pavilion. Moved to another site, Torquay would have a development site next to the inner harbour that could incorporate an underground car park and a low rise, (four to five storeys), building above incorporating restaurants and cafes on the ground floor with a covered inner courtyard. This could be used for exhibitions, events, markets, etc., whilst providing Torquay with the one thing currently missing off the visitors' wish list; namely a venue offering shelter when the weather is bad.
"The Living Coasts site is large enough to accommodate the Pavilion which could become The Agatha Christie Pavilion Theatre with back to back performances of the author's many plays attracting an audience from all over the world. The site already has retail space and a large restaurant/cafe area to accommodate a museum dedicated to the author.
"Along the same lines, the new build development on the site vacated by the Pavilion should incorporate a museum to the guy who put Torquay on the map; namely Isambard Kingdom Brunel, another great name that would attract visitors from all over the world, some arriving from Heathrow via his GWR railway line."
He added: "Generate this sort of footfall, (perfect also for visiting cruise ships), and all the other woes afflicting the town will soon fall by the wayside as private investors flock back in to have a part of the action. It's time for a blank canvas. It may actually cost less in the long run. A Pavilion rebuilt with a brand new steel frame will still look like an old building in 20 years time as the Jewel in Torbay's Crown overlooking the beautiful Bay."
Is Mark off his trolley? He points to the old Winter Gardens building in Torquay. The Grade II building from 1878 was a striking glass and iron structure which was relocated by barge all the way to its current position in Great Yarmouth in 1904, reportedly without a single pane of glass breaking!
It has had many uses over the years, including as a ballroom, roller-skating rink and even a German beer garden. It has been empty, but now with the help of a £10million lottery grant it is about to open its doors to the public and a new future as the so-called 'People's Palace' - a year-round, free attraction billed 'as a place of celebration, enjoyment, well-being and relaxation for all'.
Pavilion/Living Coasts/Christie and Brunel? That's some Plan B!