Torbay eyes success from the sea

The key to Torbay’s future success as a venue for major events could come from the sea.

Long-standing team sports events, which once brought hundreds of players to festivals in the bay, are dying out in favour of newer, more individual sports.

“Far fewer people now play team sports,” Cllr Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood) told  Torbay Council’s cabinet. “Let’s celebrate the new.”

Members were debating their strategy for events across the bay, and Cllr Darren Cowell (Ind, Shiphay) questioned whether the council still had the capacity to support them, and whether it is too difficult for people to put them on.

“There used to be a hockey festival, a cricket festival and a rugby festival that filled many bed nights in local hotels,” he said. “They have all but gone. The hockey festival is a shadow of what it used to be. It’s a missed opportunity.

“I regularly get feedback from people who want to put on events, but don’t bother because of the number of hoops they have to jump through.”

He said support is lacking for smaller events, and called for more resources to be put into the bay’s events team. He added: “It’s all very well putting all your eggs into the baskets of the air show and the wonderful Christmas Bay of Lights, but our smaller events are falling by the wayside.”

The council’s culture and events director Lisa Tuck said work is under way to streamline the ‘arduous’ and ‘daunting’ process for people looking to create events. More could be done if there were more staff, she said.

Cllr Bye said the bay is enjoying success with smaller-scale sports including cycling at the Torbay Velopark and padel on the new courts in Torquay.

And, he added: “I don’t think people realise how much marine activity is going on.”

Cllr Jackie Thomas (Con, Kings Ash), cabinet member for events, said the council had supported the national stand-up paddleboard championships this year, and had hopes of attracting the world championships in 2026.