Jim Parker: Now is the Time and if we don't grab it we will never be forgiven

It was all about the Bay being together with the the public, private and community sectors all pulling in the same direction to help bring prosperity and a healthier and happier life for everybody living in the English Riviera.
It was about celebrating success and putting the doomers and gloomers to bed to show the outside world and central government that we were no longer the basket case of the past and that we were united in being up for change - because Now was the Time.
The Torbay Together partnership was the message deliverer at the time with some great success - more than £35 million in funding was soon to follow via the government's Town Deal initiative for Torquay and its Future High Streets scheme for Torquay.
For the Torbay Together partnership now read the Torbay Place Leadership Board as Torbay as 'place' is at the heart of all we are trying to achieve for the Bay. Its toolkit is the Torbay Story - telling people, future investors what a great place the English Riviera is to live, work, visit and invest their money in. Place and people is a powerful partnership.
Covid got in the way for a couple of years. For the best of reasons, little or no progress was made on identified regeneration projects as development costs rose to ridiculous levels.
But now we are on the cusp of that new beginning, that new future, with the government sending millions more our way and potentially huge investment from the private sector and developers.
Bringing our town centres to life is a huge priority. Torbay has been chosen as just one of 20 local authorities in the UK as a levelling up partner by the government. There is a £400 million pot of cash to go with it. Torbay, currently working with government officials on the partnership, may end up with nothing, but whatever happens help will be given to get those high street schemes over the line and more besides.
It has also been announced that the National Lottery Heritage Fund is starting a 10-year journey with Torbay that will transform the area’s heritage, through a new Heritage Places initiative. Torbay is one of the first nine places set to benefit from a share of £200 million targeted to unlock the potential of the Riviera's heritage. Whether or not that may include our historic gems like Oldway Mansion and the Pavilion is not clear.
One town centre scheme that will benefit from government cash is the Crossway development in Paignton. The former shopping arcaded has been demolished but a care accommodation scheme to fill the void has collapsed.
But that project has been given another major boost by even further government investment.
Bay MP Kevin Foster is among those who have welcomed news of the additional £950,000 towards the regeneration of Crossways.
Crossways is included in a list of nearly 100 regeneration projects which will receive a total of £60 million from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The investment is part of the second phase of the £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund, with cash going directly to councils, including Torbay Council.
Mr Foster says: "The news of this additional funding is welcome and shows the level of Government support being offered to get the regeneration of our bay moving.
“My first job included working at the former Granada TV Rental Store in Crossways, now I am pleased to be working with the Conservative team leading Torbay Council to get a scheme ready to start on this site once demolition works are completed.”
The support won't necessarily fill the funding gap to complete the overall Crossways scheme. A partnership with the private sector to finish it may be the only way forward.
And that is where another twist in the Torbay Story comes into play.
After 'selling' the Bay at various events like the UKREiiF conference in Leeds where hundreds of UK and global investors visited to see what caught their eye, it is believed several visited the Bay and two were singled out as potential developer partners with Torbay Council.
The cabinet and then council are being asked to rubber stamp a partnership deal with one of them this week. An item on the cabinet agenda says 'Regeneration Partnership and appointment of Development Partner. To consider a report that seeks agreement to enter into arrangements to develop a Regeneration Partnership to accelerate delivery of regeneration and growth projects in Torbay.'
If agreed this is massive Linking with a private company willing to plough many millions of pounds into the Bay. It really is Back to the Future with the partnership deal with world-renowned developers McAlpine to regenerate council-owned sites collapsing at the 11th hour several years ago
Again town centre schemes will be top of the priority list if the deal is struck - and who knows Oldway, the Pavilion and even Living Coasts - may come into the equation for the preferred developer or another partner from the private sector.
Deputy council leader Chris, in charge of regeneration, says: "It is a little bit like going back to McAlpine. Torbay Council owns the land and buildings. We do not have the know how or finance to deliver these projects by ourselves.
"We need partners and that is why are going down this route - and having a main partner does not exclude others
"I have faced some criticism since we took over the council four months ago. I have said 'don't judge us over four months; judge us over four years'. We are not going to deliver everything but we are going to have a go at delivering everything."
For me the Bay is on the cusp of a giant new beginning. It doesn't matter who is calling the shots and what political robe they are wearing. Politics and point scoring has to be put to one side with a can-do attitude shining through.
If we miss this moment in time we will never be forgiven.
Now is the Time!