Massive £200 million plan to regenerate Torbay unveiled

Torbay is set to be “completely transformed for the better” after the council unveiled the latest plans for an ambitious £200 million-plus regeneration project for the Bay’s town centres. 

Having worked with developers Willmott and Dixon and Milligan since November 2023, Torbay Council has come up with plans to redevelop six major sites over the next decade, transforming the town centres of the Bay and building up to 700 homes for sale and rent, extra care and affordable homes. 

There will also be facilities such as a new high-end hotel, gyms, leisure facilities, restaurants, cafes and medical facilities, as well as new public squares and spaces.

The first project in the pipeline is the total redevelopment of Torquay’s Union Square Shopping Centre, which will be demolished and redeveloped to accommodate around 100 homes as well as cafes, restaurants, some retail space and a new NHS facility. The historic Pannier Market will be retained.

For the first time, the preferred design can be revealed, which will be taken forward for full planning consent, anticipated to be in the first half of 2025. The design aims to capture the needs and aspirations of local stakeholders by creating a town centre hub that is fit for the future, provide much needed affordable housing for sale and rent and diversify the local economy.

The plans have been developed by the council with development partners Willmott Dixon (a leading independent construction and property services company) and Milligan (a real estate developer). 

Stuart Harris, CEO of Milligan said: “Over the past year, we've had numerous iterations of the design, but I believe what we have now is game-changing. It retains the existing car park, which will be improved, and we're exploring the potential to bring healthcare facilities into the two lower floors of the car park, which was previously Wilko.”

Many of the residences are planned to be affordable, but the exact amount of affordable homes is yet to be confirmed. 

Chris Wheeler, Regional Head of Land Development at Willmott Dixon added: “'We’ve made every effort to maximise the economic and socio-economic benefits for the demographics across the Bay. We're not just delivering buildings that meet today's needs but ensuring they have a lasting legacy and impact for decades to come. What we're delivering now is future-proof, both from a residential perspective and from an operator's perspective on a commercial basis.”

Leonard Design is the architect behind the plan, an international firm specialising in the design of mixed-use projects. 

Later down the line, it’s hoped that Lower Union Lane would also be redeveloped, with space to build a further 100-150 homes. Also being considered by the regeneration partners is Torre Marine.

Stuart said: “If you combine that with Union Square, you're looking at 200 to 250 new homes in total. This begins to change the entire dynamic of Union Street.”

The plan is to apply for planning permission for the revamp in the spring of 2025, by which time Torbay Council will own all the buildings involved. The project is expected to cost around £60 million and will be funded by a mix of the existing £11 million of ‘Town Deal’ government funding, combined with public and private sector investment. National pension funds are understood to be among the investors interested.

Leader of the Council, Dave Thomas (Cons) said although the plans for Union Square will shorten the business part of the high street, it will help to reduce anti-social behaviour and create a more “vibrant area for business” at the bottom of town.

He continued: “Fundamentally, our high street is too long. It starts at the Strand, and finishes at the police station. Because it’s so long, the town can never support businesses along that whole length. From Union Square and beyond the town will become more residential which will put more footfall into the town and more activity into the space.”

The regeneration of Torbay’s town centres doesn’t just stop at Union Square, however. Developers say the key to Torbay’s regeneration is the redevelopment of multiple sites across the Bay, rather than just one. The developers said that multiple sites will also attract more investors.

The next key project is the Strand. While the original scheme the Torbay Council hoped to pursue fell through due to “external factors”, work is ongoing to bring forward a revised scheme that will enhance the wider public realm works. Planning permission for any plans will still be needed and no demolition work will happen for any of the buildings along the Stand until autumn, 2025. 

In Paignton, the demolition of the Victoria Centre is set to commence in early 2025 with part of the site already unlocked for redevelopment. The project will provide around 200 homes for local people, rejuvenate the area and attract businesses back into town. Demolition work will be phased, with the site temporarily returned to a surface level car park whilst work to secure planning, an investor and a developer continues. 

With work to demolish the former Crossways Shopping Centre complete, work is underway to develop a revised plan for the site. The scheme that the council was hoping to deliver has since become unviable “due to inflationary pressures that have been ongoing nationally since 2021/22.

Throughout the past year of developing these plans engagement work has been taking place with a range of stakeholders. Building on the existing town centre masterplans and visions, their feedback has been listened to and captured to help develop a framework of opportunities and priorities that reflect the “aspirations and needs of the community, investors, local entrepreneurs and the visitor economy.”

The Council, Willmott Dixon and Milligan are keen to ensure businesses and brands are retained in the town centres and are supporting them with any short and long-term relocation requirements.

Emerging from this work is a strong desire to take a cohesive approach to regeneration across Torbay’s town centres and prioritising projects that will have the greatest impact on the community, visitors, investors and the local economy. 

The Torbay Place Leadership board, chaired by Jim Parker, has been instrumental in promoting investment opportunities in the Bay through the Torbay Story programme. The power of the Torbay Story was the driving force behind securing the regeneration partnership at UKREiiF (UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum) in 2023. Back at UKREiiF for a second time in May 2024 to tell the next chapter in the Torbay Story, this time with a focus on attracting investors and developers, by showcasing that Torbay is investor ready. 

Councillor Chris Lewis (Cons), Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth said that the projects would create “real change” in the Bay.

He continued: “We were elected about 18 months ago now and the main thing in our manifesto was delivery. We knew there were sites that needed to be delivered. 

“We learned very early on that we couldn't do it on our own. We didn't have the expertise, and that's why we brought in the team of Willmott and Dixon and Milligan.

“People of Torbay have waited so long that they’re desperate to see change, but what they’ve got to realise is that it takes time, and these guys are here to make sure that we get it right.”

Cllr Dave Thomas added: “We stood on a manifesto of delivery last year. It’s really easy to talk about things and to promise things, but to deliver things is really hard, especially in the current environment.

“There has been quite a lot of criticism that we haven’t done anything yet, but we have been trying to get this deal right. It takes a little while to put it all together.

“This really is a once-in-a-generational opportunity for Torbay, and we hope the community share our enthusiasm and excitement for the changes on the not-too-distant horizon.”