£750k investment announced for Brixham harbourside

Torbay Council has announced a £750,000 investment to enhance Brixham harbourside.

Brixham residents and visitors will benefit from £750,000 of public realm improvements to the harbourside this spring.

Torbay Council and Brixham Town Council have been working on ideas that will make Brixham harbour an even more attractive and vibrant place.

The emerging ideas were shared publicly for the first time today (Tuesday, February 4), and include:

• Installing new 600-litre solar smart compacting bins that will prevent the bin from overflowing and reduce the amount of street clutter.
• Mounting approximately 250 metres of LED festoon lighting around the harbour.
• Replacing seating and benches and adding seasonal feature planting such as colourful hanging baskets.
• Improving access and public safety around the harbour/fishing port.
• Providing safe launching, landing, and mooring facilities for paddleboard and kayak users.
• Improving wayfinding and directional signage to enhance the visitor experience.
• Repainting the harbour railings, pillars, lamp posts, and quay market structure.

Residents and businesses, particularly those based in Brixham, are encouraged to view the proposals and share any other ideas they may have until Friday, February 21.

You can view the proposals online at https://yoursay.torbay.gov.uk/brixham-public-realm. 

You can also attend one of the face-to-face events happening on Saturday 8 and Wednesday 19 February, 10am until 2pm, located at The Scale, Brixham Town Hall, TQ5 8TA.

The improvements are being funded using £750,000 of government grant funding that Torbay Council secured through the Levelling Up Partnership.

SWISCo will start work on the improvements this spring. Improvement and installation work will be carried out in phases, ensuring it does not impact on spring and early summer events.

Cllr Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth at Torbay Council, said: “Our bay-wide regeneration and improvement programme really starts to gather momentum in 2025. This year will be the year that Brixham residents get to be immersed in our exciting transformation story.

“Brixham is already a vibrant and welcoming place, and we hope the £750,000 of public realm improvements will further enhance the area for residents and visitors.

“We’ve been working closely with Brixham Town Council to develop the proposals, which we are excited to share with you. We hope the community takes the time to look at the ideas and perhaps even suggest some ideas for the future.”

Cllr Michael Roseveare, Mayor of Brixham, said: “We’re excited to see Torbay Council’s regeneration and improvement programme reach Brixham this year. The investment in the town’s public realm marks a significant step forward in enhancing the town, making it a more attractive and welcoming space for both residents and visitors alike.

“It's been good to see the collaboration between Brixham Town Council and Torbay Council. We strongly encourage residents and businesses to take a closer look at the proposals over the next three weeks and share their thoughts.”

Torbay Council, working with its regeneration partners Willmott Dixon and Milligan, is working on proposals to develop plans for two major sites within Brixham.

The Brixham Port Infrastructure Project will look to provide 2,550sqm of new space for the fishing industry.

The expansion of the port would create around 40 new fishing-related jobs.

£9.791 million of government funding has been secured for the project.

Detailed proposals will be made public later in the spring, with opportunities being available for the community to comment on the proposals as part of the statutory planning process.

The council has also provided an update for the Brixham Town Centre car park.

The original multi-storey car park, built in the early 1960s, suffered severe deterioration due to marine weathering, leading to significant steel corrosion. Despite multiple structural repairs, deterioration persisted, resulting in its demolition in 2005.

In recent years, various redevelopment proposals have been considered, including housing. Financially viable options are now being explored, with plans to present them to the community later this year.

Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon, said: "I’m really pleased to see the levelling up funding from the previous government finally coming through and being spent. It will be hugely positive to see the improvements to the public realm for residents and tourists.

"I’m pleased also to see the additional mooring space for kayaks and paddleboards. I hope this will be the first step in public realm improvements. Further upgrades to the town centre car parking area are a must, however, to take these improvements to the next level, and this is something I regularly raise with Torbay Council."

Each project coming forward has been developed in line with community-led plans, including the Local Plan, Brixham, Town Centre Master Plan, Brixham Peninsula Neighbourhood Plan Policy Document, and Torbay’s Heritage Strategy.