Torquay flags up 50 ways to spend £20million

More than 50 projects have been put forward for a share of £20 million in government money to be spent in Torquay.

An influential town committee pledged ‘power to the people’ when it met in June to discuss what to do with the Plan For Neighbourhoods (PFN) cash.

Jim Parker, who chairs the Torquay Place Leadership Board, said at the time: “This is all about giving decision-making back to the community.”

Now the people – and Torbay Council – have come up with a list of 51 bright ideas to be discussed for the first time when the board meets again next week (September 8).

The board’s job is to create a 10-year strategy for spending the money, with the emphasis on schemes to make life better, healthier and happier for residents.

Torquay is the only town in the south west to qualify for the money, due largely to its deprivation, crime rates, economic inactivity and low-income jobs among other factors.

Torbay Council has put its own £84million redevelopment of the Union Square shopping centre into the mix, with an appeal for £5.5million from the PFN pot to move the project to the next stage.

The council also suggests spending £80,000 from the fund on upgrading CCTV in the town centre.

Other proposals from other bodies include better step-free access to Torquay railway station; a community hub for Ellacombe and transforming the Acorn Centre at Barton into a community and sports hub.

The Wellswood Community Partnership wants to make traffic and parking safer while the St Luke’s Residents Association wants a bus shelter.

Other ideas include an accessible toilet on the harbourside; a new slipway and watersports hub; studios and workshops for local artists and an Agatha Christie heritage trail.

One suggestion is for a major public arts festival to be held in Torquay in 2027 with large-scale sculptures and exhibitions.