Jim Parker: Will the Bay's silent majority please step forward

Some tough decisions lie ahead for both our politicians and community if we are to grab this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver a new future for our Bay.

Never before have we been in a position of being able to transform the resort with more than £200million of government funding and from a public/private sector partnership with developers to deliver game-changing schemes, and we are never likely to be in that position ever again.

The council and partners Willmott Dixon and Milligan have just delivered on the first of those big regeneration projects with the opening of a new-look Strand on Torquay harbourside just in time for Christmas.

Proposals to demolish the Union Square shopping centre and surrounding area are out for public consultation with a planning application lined up for next year.

Then we will have the Debenhams plans and proposals for the redevelopment and improvements to Paignton and Brixham town centres. That's not to mention the multi-million-pound schemes to improve sea defences and public realm areas for Paignton and Preston or funding for smaller cultural and tourism-related initiatives.

Don't forget either separate funding to make Torquay town centre a more attractive and safer place and whether or not that should include the closing of the Factory Row homeless hostel as discussed in last week's column.

Decisions, decisions...

Now the spotlight has been thrown once again on some of our biggest and most cherished assets and how they fit into that new future. Assets that will need many more millions spent on them if they are to return to anywhere near their previous glory days. Paignton's Oldway Mansion and its forlorn Torquay neighbour, the Pavilion.

Oldway made the headlines last week when the council advertised on a national property website that it was looking for a commercial partner for the Oldway renovation and was offering a long lease as part of the deal.

The local Liberal Democrats and Bay MP Steve Darling read that as putting Oldway up for sale and weren't happy bunnies.

Mr Darling called for transparency and openness over the regeneration of Oldway following widespread confusion over the so-called 'For Sale' notice.

He spoke out in support of greater community engagement in the regeneration of the Mansion, emphasising the importance of keeping residents informed. He said he, local councillors, and residents alike were 'caught off guard' when, after no communication from the Conservative administration at Torbay Council, the Mansion and its grounds were posted online with a long leasehold available for a price upon agreement.

Mr Darling said: "Residents must always be at the heart of decisions affecting their community. This historic building belongs to the people of Torbay, and they have a right to be involved in every step of its regeneration."

He added: "It is deeply concerning that Paignton residents had to find out about Oldway Mansion’s potential future through a ‘For Sale’ listing, rather than direct communication from their local council."

According to Mr Darling, additionally, the mention of extensive grounds and sporting facilities in the listing has sparked fears about the future of free public access to Oldway's gardens and tennis courts. 

And then Swithin Long, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Torbay Council, added: "Oldway Mansion is a treasured landmark, and its regeneration is an opportunity to create something truly special for our community. But that can only happen if the process is open and collaborative, with residents and local representatives actively involved."

The MP and council group leader have pledged to work cross-party with colleagues on Torbay Council to push for greater transparency and ensure local voices are heard in decisions about Oldway and other key projects.

And then we move over to Torquay and the Pavilion and another spat, including concerns from the Save Torquay Pavilion campaign group.

They have taken to social media to express their fears over the future of Cary Green, which they have saved from potential development in the past.

They say: "After years of fighting and legal action, Cary Green was designated as a protected green space in the Local Plan in 2019. The Council is now consulting on making permanent what was originally a ‘temporary’ taxi rank on part of it, pending long-term discussions about an alternative site.

"Torbay Council intends firstly to use a TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) to enable taxis to park on what it refers to as ‘Vaughan Road,’ with a map showing an area shaded on that road. We are objecting to this TRO on the grounds that the taxi rank is not on Vaughan Road at all—it is 100 pe cent on Cary Green."

They added: "We have no quarrel with taxi drivers, whose position here was never their decision. The long-term solution must be discussed now, however, not in 12 months’ time. Cary Green must be reinstated and restored for the public good. As things stand, the green space is virtually unusable and a far cry from how it is supposed to be."

Deputy council leader Chris Lewis, who is in charge of regeneration, went on the front foot on both complaint fronts.

He and the council have always made it clear that they are looking for a commercial partner to restore Oldway. The council will never be able to finance such a massive scheme by itself with £54milliion mentioned as the overall cost in some circles. The property website ad was to help find that partner not sell off the mansion, insisted Cllr Lewis.

He added: "My argument with those people shouting the loudest is that we always said we needed a partner going forward for Oldway.

"It is such an iconic building we do not want to talk to people just in Torbay as we look for a partner. We want to talk to the wider audience across the country.

"How do you do that? That is why it was on the property website. It should come as no surprise that we have asked people if they are interested in coming forward. We want to get it across nationally."

Around £9million is being spent on the first stage of the Oldway restoration, and that entails making the building wind and watertight.

Cllr Lewis revealed a similar ad on the same website was also placed looking for a commercial partner for the Pavilion where repairs are being assessed and the building is also being made wind and watertight. The Pavilion will also cost many millions to restore, and the council will need help from the private sector.

As for Cary Green and the taxis, Cllr Lewis said: "This is not a long-term solution. Our officers have met with campaigners. We are talking to them. We need to talk to people to get a solution going forward."

He made a general plea: "Let's not make politics out of this. Let's all work together. Our mantra is to deliver, and we want to take everybody with us.

"We can't let politics get in the way of this. We will make difficult decisions going forward. They may be unpopular in the short term—we had to make difficult decisions with the Strand, but it got delivered.

"We have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the Bay. We cannot just keep talking the talk, and we cannot mess this up."

For me, everybody in the Bay has a part to play and must have a say in the future of Torbay. The silent majority simply must put its head above the parapet and make sure we don't mess things up. Simple as that.