Sally Allen: As some would say Now is the Time to save the Pavilion

I could have written about Russell Brand and the car crash of his life, Starmer trying to get us closer and closer to the UK becoming a much put-upon puppet member of the EU, gaga Biden and hopefully the rise of the much-needed Michelle Obama to become the democratic nomination for the Presidency in the USA. But they all need to go on the back burner as something far more important is facing the community in Torbay.
On Saturday afternoon I went to support Paul Fraser and Jontie Williams in their passionate hope of 'Saving the Pavilion' for Torbay. This, of course, should not be a hope, it should have been done and dusted by now. It all comes down to the lease between the council and MDL and if it is a fully repairing lease or not. The public want to know who is responsible.
This is a small extract from Paul’s speech “This building was closed and boarded up over a decade ago. Its condition has been deteriorating every year since. It is now common knowledge that water ingress is corroding the steel frame as well as causing other interior damage. We imagine much of that damage done since closure could have been avoided had expert recommendations to cover the building back in 2013 been actioned. But they never were.”
I have never heard of a property lease not being fully repairing, and particularly in this case, for a valuable heritage asset. It would not make sense. So, if it is not MDL’s responsibility, then it is clearly the council’s and the solicitors who created the lease. Somebody is clearly culpable and overdue to have their feet held to the flames. It is about time to put your hand up and deal with it.
I was very disappointed to only see two councillors at the protest, Mandy Darling and Darren Cowell. Nobody from the current administration. When I mentioned this on Facebook after the event, Swithin Long at least took the trouble to post that he couldn’t make it but was in support. As for the rest, including our MP Kevin Foster - nothing! No show and no comment.
We are blessed in Torbay to have two remarkable and historic buildings. Oldway Mansion and the aforesaid Pavilion. As far as I know, there are very few towns in the country who are this fortunate, and yet this rich heritage has been squandered by countless councils. To quote a dear friend 'now is the time' before it is too late, to get your collective digit out!
It is not impossible to save these two gems of architecture, the council needs to be forced to deal with it NOW. The more prevarication, the more damage. We simply can’t wait for the much talked about, and at this stage mythical, 'end user'. The rot must be stopped immediately or there will be nothing left to argue over. Or is this the plan? Let the two historic buildings fall into such a terrible state of disrepair that there will be no other option other than to demolish them???
From what I understand, and I quote now from the Save the Pavilion Facebook page – “The last Council is frequently criticised for its 'lack of progress' in office from May 2019 to May 2023. What you may not know is how much work they did do, in an attempt to solve a situation, they inherited. Last year, listed building consent was granted to construct a waterproof cover over the entire building - all the detailed plans have already been made. It would put a stop to water ingress and allow the building to dry out, putting a stop to further damage and decay. The recommendation to do this was first made in May 2013. What delayed it going up was last year's rampant inflation which drove the cost of doing this above the £2 million that was allocated to the Pavilion from government funding.”
The council still haven’t allocated the £21.9m Town Deal money – as far as the public knows. The priority should be to put this vital waterproof cover over the Pavilion. It is a false economy to just leave it.
Projects like this should always be apolitical and it is a good way for the new administration to show, and prove, their commitment to their new apolitical 20-year plan for Torbay. It is long past the point of no return and an end-user is more likely to be found if steps are taken to halt the decay. Currently the situation reminds me of the song from “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”. It goes something like this…. I’m busy doing nothing working the whole day thru, trying to find lots of things not to do …. etcetera. Let’s hope our council is not left holding the metaphorical Pavilion parcel when the music stops. Why is it that nobody in so-called power seems to be able to get these projects off the ground so that we can put Torquay back on the map. I believe that it was central to the current administration’s manifesto that they would be the ones to get things done. How about NOW?