Plans for a total revamp of Paignton and Preston seafront have been published

The promenade from Paignton to Preston is set for a once-in-a-lifetime revamp after formal plans for a total overhaul of the seafront were published for the first time.

Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader of Torbay Council and Councillor for Preston said the plans mean that: “Anyone coming back to the bay in 10 years time will see a completely different Paignton.”

The multi-million-pound project is not just aiming to protect over 300 low-lying properties from flooding, but offer improvements to the public space as well.

The plans, now filed with Torbay Council, show flood defences which include a complete redesign of the seafront areas and changes to traffic flows. A council decision on the plans is likely this spring.

The transformation of the two seafronts was given the green light in principle by the council’s cabinet committee almost exactly a year ago. It is designed to protect low-lying areas of the town from flooding as the climate changes and sea levels rise.

It will also offer a chance to redesign the old-fashioned promenade areas with ‘public realm’ improvements designed to make them more attractive areas.

Cllr Chris Lews added: “ “Instead of just having a wall, it's now set to be a major feature, uh, for both Paignton and Preston. It’ll improve the seafront rather than being a black spot in the area.

“This project is vital on two counts. One count is that we need the flood defences, especially for the centre of Paignton. But we're also going to make it a much more enjoyable experience for both residents, visitors and businesses.”

Six months of public consultation went into the Paignton and Preston Seafront Masterplan, which estimates that more than 300 properties in low-lying parts of the town are at risk of flooding.

By providing defences now, the council says this risk can be drastically reduced.
Funding of £4.6 million has already been secured from the Environment Agency, Section 106 contributions from local developers and the government’s Future High Streets Fund.

An original proposal for sea defences was published by the council in December 2020 but was rejected by residents who said it was not good enough, with one councillor branding it as looking like the “Berlin Wall”.

However, there remain concerns surrounding the new design of the sea wall. After objecting to the original plans in 2021, Colin Hurst, Secretary for the Paignton and Preston Community Partnership argues that flaws remain in the design.

He said: “The new plans do look better and fit in. But if you look at the plan, all the public realm has been left exposed. When we inevitably get a storm, that’ll be the first thing to go. To us, that’s not a very good idea.”

Colin said that the PPCP drew up their own plans that incorporated the existing sea wall and urged Torbay Council to test it at Plymouth University.

He added: “We've been pressing them over the months and years now to take a fresh look at this, and they haven't done so.”

The council said: “The initial concept was of a traditional front line concrete sea wall. The scheme has now evolved into a tiered sea defence with enhanced placemaking in the seafront areas.

“This transition has been informed by consultation feedback from residents and stakeholders. We want to create a high-quality coastal defence and enhanced public space. We want to make sure it is fit for the future of Paignton and Preston seafronts.”

The plans have been submitted by the council through the Torbay Development Agency and will have to pass through the planning committee in the same way any other planning application would.

There have not yet been any public comments on the published proposals.

Colin also raised concerns over the funding of the sea wall. He said: “When you look at sea defences elsewhere, they're putting millions and millions of pounds in. We’ve only got about three million to start with.

“But if you think about this, if we start building this sea wall, we’ll build 100 metres of it and then pack it because there’ll be no more money. Then coming back to it in a couple of years, it’s started again on the next stage. That’s not very productive, is it? It’ll bring costs up and slow down the process.”

Cllr Chris Lewis said: “The cost is about 17 million, we can’t do that on our own. But we can do it with the help of outside bodies, like the Environment Agency, the government, levelling-up funds and other funds which will come in.

“What we don't want to do is to build the wall and not have all the good bits. So, if we're going to do it in sections, we want each section to be completed to the highest standard.”

Other details in the plans include major changes to road access and parking on the seafronts, with an enlarged pedestrian area between the Shoreline Restaurant and the pier, with no through traffic.

At Preston, there will be a flood defence wall and gates, with a resurfaced lower promenade and a new upper promenade with a stepped front edge and accessible slopes to the shelters and cafe.

Spaces will be provided for existing reconditioned shelters, as well as the existing cafe building on the upper promenade. There will be a new cycleway, new seating, new lighting, litter bins, lockers and paddleboard storage.

Paignton will also have new flood defences and gates, together with a resurfaced lower promenade and a new upper promenade with planting terraces, seatings and accessible slopes. New showers will be built next to the existing toilet block.

The current shelters will be relocated to the top of the flood defence embankments, while there will also be new pedestrian footpaths and crossings.

Paignton will also have new seating, cycle parking and improved lighting, plus new litter bins, CCTV columns and outdoor showers.