Jim Parker: Now for some good news - I am glad to say!

It's all blooming doom and gloom at the moment. These days I even get very tempted to switch off the TV news bulletins to avoid getting depressed - and I have spent a lifetime delivering that very same news as a journalist.

So I would like to thank Martin Rogers for brightening up my day with some good news.

Martin is the UK man for the Fragrance Group who are investing more than £150 million in the Bay with a string of hotel developments.

Work is finally progressing at the site of the former Corbyn Head Hotel on Torquay seafront.

Martin has revealed that piling work has started on the site which will be transformed into a four-star hotel.

Willmott Dixon have been chosen as contractors for the £23mllion project which is expected to take two years to complete.

The hotel will have 152 guest rooms, with a restaurant and terraces that overlook the Bay. There will also be a spa and rooftop bar, with parking provision for 101 cars.

Across the Bay, the Fragrance Group's two seafront hotels in Paignton are moving forward at pace with the Mercure Hotel name now there clearly for all to see on one of them. Next door will be an Ibis Styles hotel.

The projects extends the Fragrance Group’s expansive UK hotel portfolio, with properties also in London, Paignton and Manchester. Martin, managing director of GH&L (Global Hotels and Leisure) Consultancy, has been quoted as saying: "The Corbyn will be a further commitment by the Singaporean Group to Torbay adding to the Mercure and Ibis Styles under construction in Paignton.

"The Corbyn will enjoy amazing views out across Tor Bay and will be operated under a global hotel brand."

It is hoped the Mercure will be open by the end of March next year with the Ibis next door following a few months later.

It is a remarkable achievement when you consider work was halted on both sites not long ago after former contractors Midas went bust and there have materials supply and staff recruitment problems.

Work is also well under way at the site of the former Palace Hotel in Torquay where 37 three- and four-bed houses are being built in advance of a luxury, hotel and spa resort which will follow when market conditions are right.

Martin says: "The houses will take from start to finish 18 months. The hotel development is a long way off at the moment. Nobody would build something like that at the moment. It will not work."

But he added: "We are committed to the Bay and its future."

Another vote of confidence from Fragrance and Singaporean billionaire owner James Koah is the £1.5 million purchase of the Marine Hotel just up the road from the two new hotels in Paignton. It looks as if the Marine will remain as it is and continue to trade.

The sale was completed by agents Savills. The hotel has 53 bedrooms, a 100-cover restaurant and a glazed conservatory which can serve as a bar, lounge and entertainment area.

Martin said: "This acquisition of the Marine Hotel is further testament to our confidence in Torbay and the UK regional hotel market."

Meanwhile, it also looks like a derelict hotel site at another prime location is about to be redeveloped at long last as well.

Torbay Council’s planners are expected to give the go ahead for the redevelopment of the once-proud Shedden Hall Hotel which overlooked Torquay seafront.

The property had been empty since the hotel closed in 2009 and was finally demolished after a major fire in June 2019.

Councillors next Monday will be considering plans for up to 25 apartments on the hillside site.

Officers are recommending approval, but are insisting there must be a commitment to affordable housing as part of the overall project.

So, there you are. It's not all doom and gloom despite what these pesky journalists would have you believe.