From ‘woke’ rants to road rage - here's what you've been saying

Sandwiched between two bank holidays, many of us might be feeling a little distracted—juggling post-Easter sugar crashes and the excitement building ahead of the Brixham Pirate Festival. But that didn’t stop Torbay Weekly readers from sharing their views on headlines making waves across the Bay.

From planning controversies to political spats, here’s what you’ve been saying.

Farage frustrates

There was an angry backlash to a story by local democracy reporter Guy Hendeson, covering Nigel Farage’s visit to Devon, where the Reform UK leader blasted Devon County Council for being “woke”.

One commentator said: “He was here before the election. Charging people to hear him speak! Sad grifter who has never done anything positive in his political career other than increase his bank balance.”

Another said: “I love how people like Farage use the word woke to literally mean anything at all. Just make people fear it and then use it again and again to stop anyone thinking critically.”

A third joked: “On a positive note, their election material burns very well on the wood burner.”

But it wasn’t all criticism. One commentator said: “We desperately need Reform. Since moving to Torquay, I'm shocked by our massive council tax bills that go up every year, yet the service we receive goes down.”

Zoo invite swings short

Former Torbay MP Kevin Foster felt that Steve Darling’s invite to Keir Starmer to visit Paignton Zoo and see the tourism industry’s plight for himself would not see results. He said: “The increase in NI, Labour's jobs tax, is hitting businesses across the bay. Sadly a day at the zoo is not going to change Keir's view, especially when the Lib Dems have also been calling for increased spending in virtually every dept. It's a reminder of how the politics of protest can simply be ignored by the government.”

“Truly ghastly” developments

Sally Allen’s column about “avaricious developers” ruining Torbay’s natural beauty stirred up quite the response. Our correspondent addresses the “truly ghastly and beyond ugly edifice on the seafront masquerading as a new 4-star hotel” and the bulldozing of a historic building at Singleton Gardens in Torquay.

One commentator shared the frustration: “Our neighbours wanted a very modest alteration to their house perfectly in keeping with the houses around. Spending a fortune, they got knocked back on appeal. The monstrous building on the front is really, really awful, and I think everything that could be said about it has been. What’s the use of having councillors if they can’t do anything about Singleton Gardens? There should be no such word. I attempt to be positive about the bay. I am not a born local, but being retired, I have more time to read all these posts. Probably better off when I was working. The more you read, the more you feel hopeless about what goes on. How do councillors justify decisions made? Unless we go to lots of meetings and pay attention, then we are ‘stuffed’.”

Another said: “So they deliberately chose to do the destruction over the bank holiday, I guess. They have done their worst, destroyed anything of value, and will be willing to get a slap on the wrist—an old trick. I wonder how they managed to get planning permission in the first place.”

However, Cllr Martin Brook stepped in with clarification: “A little clarification, as Cllr Hazel Foster notified me over the Easter weekend with video and photos, followed by her emailing Planning.

“Contact with the planning, enforcement team and building control was made first thing yesterday when offices opened up after the holiday. A site visit was subsequently held, and a stop on work was put in place, with a further meeting today to continue the investigation.”

Orange nay, but Easter yay

Our editor, Jim Parker, seemed to hit the nail on the head in his recent column celebrating a great Easter in the bay, despite the ongoing furore over the brightly coloured new hotel.

One commentator said: “Totally agree! Torbay could do with it being Easter or a bank holiday every weekend. Why not music and fun on the harbour every weekend during the main summer or even, perhaps, on the Banjo on the main seafront? Of course there would have to be a Punch and Judy show as well.

“I’m perplexed about that hotel. The fragrance group who bought the palace gardens suggested there are too many beds in Torquay and that replacing the demolished hotel wasn’t a good business plan, yet here they are building a hotel! I wonder who is going to be building the hotel to replace the Debenhams site.”

Another remarked: “I would be interested to see comments from local business owners as to how well they have done this year versus last year across the whole bay. It would be interesting to see the results.”

Can’t we a-void delays?

The closure of Sandy Road in Paignton for up to six weeks—due to a void discovered under the surface—didn’t go down well with readers.

One commentator questioned the explantion: “Why is it so difficult? In the history of the company, haven't they ever had a hole appear in a road before?”

Another said: “We had the train bridge episode, which took forever, and now this! If this happened on a major road, it would be sorted in a matter of a week or so. Not a major road, and with South West Water being involved, the council should press them to get it done sooner than later! With 5 weeks until the air show and this taking at least 6 weeks or more, South West Water should be made to get it done.”

One joked: “Too many tea breaks and 10 men looking at 1 man digging.”

Dear Darling

Readers also reacted to Guy Henderson’s report on Torbay MP Steve Darling’s frustration over delays to the Torbay Hospital rebuild, which he says has been “kicked into the long grass”.

One commentator jumped to Darling’s defence: “He is advocating for the investment but has been told by Labour it won't happen; he can and is fighting, but he can't force that level of funds to be released, can he? Also maybe look at the fact that he is donating all of his income from his counsellor position. Yes, still a lot compared to the rest of us, but at least he is trying to give back to the local community.”

Another offered a solution: “ The problem in this country is that nobody thinks outside the box to see what could be done. Rather than wait for money from the government, is there another way of doing this? There is a good example in the Midlands where a new hospital was built whilst the old one was still being used. As parts of it were finished, departments were moved. If you were to wait for handouts it would never be done.”