“Whose vision is it anyway?” Torbay councillors debate Brixham’s future

Torbay councillors scrutinising a new ‘vision’ for the future of Brixham have asked: “Whose vision is it anyway?”

One critic of the document published recently by Torbay Council told a meeting of the cabinet committee: “It’s all rather pointless, isn’t it?”

But supporters say the bay works better when it has a clear vision of what the future looks like, and the document could pave the way for major improvements.

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The most controversial feature of the new Brixham document is a new bridge across the harbour to create a joined-up route around the centre of the port. The suggestion has prompted a lively debate on social media.

Councillors have been stressing that the ‘vision’ is not a hard-and-fast planning proposal, just a document to give would-be developers an idea of what might be possible in the future.

It lays out nine ‘key aims’ for the future of Brixham, which are to enhance connections between the harbour and central car park; reimagine the market structure; activate public spaces along the harbour; transform South Quay car park into a visitor attraction; create family-friendly zones; complete the harbour loop; upgrade the town square and the bus shelter; revitalise Fore Street and develop a clear wayfinding strategy to signpost local attractions.

The Brixham proposals follow similar reports prepared on Torquay, Paignton and the bay as a whole.

But Cllr Swithin Long (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) said: “This council spends more of its time writing documents than actually delivering anything!”

He said the vision had been a ‘top down’ process rather than being led by the local community, and was just about ‘selling off’ the area.

Cllr Adam Billings (Con, Churston with Galmpton) said the whole point of bay delegates attending national conferences was to ‘sell’ the bay as an opportunity to developers.

Cllr Darren Cowell (Ind, Shiphay) said that while the document was aimed at a professional audience, it was a shame that there had not been more collaboration with the community in producing it.

“There is considerable disappointment and frustration from people in Brixham, because this is the first time they have had sight of any of this.”

But Cllr Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood), who coined the idea of a ‘vision’ for Torbay during his term as its elected mayor, told the meeting: “Torbay absolutely did better when we had a vision, and I am very pleased to see these visions.”

Similar strategies had brought Brixham its new fish quay and Torquay the Abbey Sands development, he said.

And Cllr Chris Lewis (Con, Preston) told members: “We are not selling off Torbay, we are selling Torbay to investors who will come and put their money in.”