Jim Parker: Paignton - on its knees or on the cusp of a new future? Know which one I would choose

Thinking Place are the team of experts behind the Torbay Story.
They look at a ‘place’ and see what unique qualities it has to offer and what are its unique selling points.
From that come various strands, themes or headlines detailing those qualities which are bundled together to create a narrative, a storybook for that place.
Add a vital and essential ingredient to the pot — the people who live there — and you end up with a powerful story to tell and sell to the outside world, especially when it comes to attracting the attention, investment and money of investors.
As well as countless conversations and feedback from across the community, Thinking Place also embarked on fact-finding missions to Torquay, Paignton and Brixham in search of those ‘headline’ qualities to help create the Torbay Story.
Evidently, they were warned that Paignton was in a mess, putting it mildly, and were told to expect the worst.
Lo and behold, far from it. They found Paignton to be a lovely place. Yes, with all the problems, issues and challenges facing the Bay as a whole and Victorian seaside resorts generally throughout the realm, but overall a great place for not only its beaches and ‘family fun on the foreshore’ but also for its ‘entrepreneurs’ from the hi-tech sector and not forgetting the trail-blazing South Devon College.
On the back of the Torbay Story — and Paignton’s big part in it — has come millions of pounds in investment from both the government and private sector. Some major regeneration projects to change Paignton’s future are already under way and/or just around the corner.
That is why it was a little, only a little, disheartening to see Paignton given a good going over recently in the national press and subsequently news websites.
‘Once a thriving British seaside destination, a growing sense of despair now hangs over a declining Devon coastal town’ was how one feature began.
It went on: ‘Merely 30 minutes from the optimistic Torquay and the flourishing main street of Totnes, the atmosphere in Paignton feels strikingly different. Numerous residents have opened up about mounting problems including anti-social behaviour, the decline of high street shops and the dwindling tourism industry.
‘Some blame the council for wasting precious time and money on schemes that fail to come to fruition, whilst others claim it favours parking facilities over worthwhile investment.’
Richard Kaskow (who for some reason is referred to as Mr Askew in the feature) from Action for Paignton is interviewed. Richard has been a fierce critic of the Town Hall and its plans for a new future for the town for a while and has made no bones about it.
He's especially critical about how Torbay Council has handled the £13.36 million from the Future High Streets Fund, a government grant designed to boost local infrastructure, build new properties and enhance the town centre.
He highlights several initiatives which he believes have not been successful and says the funding is “long overdue”, and Paignton has been “ticking along on the bottom since the 1980s, and we've not upped our game”.
He goes on to claim Action for Paignton and its regeneration ideas are ignored by the local authority. “Here, they really see us as a pain in the arse, and they just don't want to speak to us. They're just ignoring us, and we're coming up with better schemes,” he was quoted as saying.
He says Action for Paignton is “not about stopping stuff”, but it aims to “connect with the voice of the people”, and guarantee the developments are executed properly from the start. Others interviewed then describe the high street as ‘grim’. Another talks of ‘alcoholics and druggies on the streets. We're losing all tourist things, like gift shops’.
To be fair, others defend Paignton and a statement from Torbay Council puts things really into perspective.
It read: “In 2020, Torbay Council secured £13.36 million of Future High Streets Funding to begin the transformation of Paignton. The funding would allow the council to deliver infrastructure improvements, new homes in the town centre and an improved cultural offer.
“Officers from the council have been working with and listening to the community since 2015 to develop the regeneration plans.
“Regeneration and change of this scale are not without [their] challenges, with external, uncontrollable factors having played a role in some projects taking longer to deliver than initially expected.
“To address these challenges, in the autumn of 2023 Torbay Council appointed Willmott Dixon and Milligan as their regeneration partners.
“Over the past 18 months, the public and private sector partnership has made significant strides forward in reviewing, developing and evaluating the viability of bay-wide transformational schemes that will revolutionise how our town centres work in the future.
“Like the community, we are keen to see Paignton town centre reinvigorated, we are fully committed to delivering this transformation. Several exciting projects are already underway across the town, using the Future High Streets Funding.
“Paignton Picture House, the restoration of Europe's oldest cinema, is progressing well and is looking towards reopening in 2026. Paignton and Preston Sea Defence, work is due to begin this autumn, work will be carried out in three separate phases, concluding in spring 2027.
“Crossways, a planning application for [around] 90 extra care homes and a new purpose-built day centre will be submitted this summer. We are working towards a start date on site of mid-2026. At the Victoria Centre, part of the site has been unlocked for redevelopment. Longer-term plans look to provide around 200 new homes on the site.
“With Station Square Public Realm, a design has been agreed and a contractor appointed. A start date is yet to be confirmed.
“Additionally, we have started to restore Oldway Mansion, a Grade II listed building on the outskirts of the town centre, using £8million of government funding, plus an additional £1million allocated by the council.
“The successful delivery of these projects will ensure that Paignton thrives in the future — with town centre homes for a diverse range of people, welcoming spaces to relax and enjoy, offering vibrant cultural experiences, and transport infrastructure that meets the needs of all road users and transport providers.
“We continue to work closely with public, private sector and community stakeholders to gather their feedback and input into our evolving transformational plans.
“Their input is invaluable, reflecting strong community interest and support for the regeneration of Paignton.”
Chris Lewis, Torbay Council deputy leader, Preston ward councillor and in charge of regeneration, summed it all up rather nicely: “We have listened to the people. Our goal is to deliver and we will deliver.
“Paignton has never been in a better place than it is now.”
Should make a good feature...