Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Torbay Weekly and you can read the latest edition (Published on Thursday 2nd November 2023) below:
Starter
After so many delays over the last 3 years, November will bring with it the start of the first major scheme under the Torquay Town Deal.
It is easy to look at any individual scheme and argue another should go first, yet as Jim Parker said last week, The Strand improvements are simply the starter course to a wider feast of regeneration being prepared.
The delays and lack of work starting under Torbay Council’s Coalition leadership (prior to May) put us at risk of losing some of the Government money available for Torbay’s regeneration. The progress made since the elections towards delivering on the Town Deal schemes, along with encouraging signs of a potential deal to revitalise The Pavilion instead encouraged the Government to announce another £20m of funding for Torquay's regeneration, with signs even more could be on its way for Paignton and Brixham under the potential Levelling Up Partnership.
There is now £41.9m of Government funding available for Torquay's regeneration and a deal with a developer set to bring a large amount of additional private capital investment into regeneration of Union Square (Now Wilko has left a large empty space), improve the area near the Old Town Hall and regenerate the Debenhams site. In addition, work to convert the old supermarket in Market Street into a Community Diagnostic Centre to support our NHS should start imminently.
A local businessman is also using his own resources to convert three empty buildings into homes. Work is already underway at an empty office block in Castle Circus, with schemes at the former Magistrate's Court and Old Town Hall to follow.
We all want to see a better bay and our Town Centres get the regeneration they need. There is the prospect major work could soon be underway delivering this. What we cannot afford is a repeat of the past when major regeneration opportunities were delayed or cancelled, thanks to divisions and arguments which now seem a lot less important than the negative impact they have had.
Paignton’s Safer Streets Cash,
Funding the latest round of the Government’s Safer Streets Fund was announced last week, with Paignton Town Centre one of two projects picked for funding in Devon & Cornwall.
Torquay Town Centre secured £746K of funding from the last round of Safer Streets funding, so it was right to focus on issues in Paignton this time round. Whilst good work has been done by the local Policing Team, problems in locations such as Victoria Car Park and the Parish Church’s Graveyard continue.
The latest funding will assist in installing measures which make places more attractive to locals and visitors, less attractive to criminals and anti-social behaviour.
Surgery Times
My next surgeries are on: Saturday 4th November 10am till 12Noon at St Martin’s Church. Barton Hill Road, TQ2 8JA and Friday 17th November 4pm till 5pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD.
Surgeries are for personal queries from residents they would like me to help them with. For an appointment you can either email me at [email protected] or leave a message on 01803 214989. There are also drop-in sessions at my office 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD between 10am & 1pm Monday to Friday where a member of my team will be available to help with any queries.
