£20million for Paignton deprivation hotspots

Money from Pride in Place fund

Two deprived areas of Paignton have been handed £20million in government money.

The handout from the Pride in Place fund was announced, with Paignton among 170 communities across the country to get a share.

The money will be spent over the next 10 years and comes from a fund designed to pay for improvements to areas such as high streets, parks and public spaces.

A similar amount of money was made available to deprived areas of Torquay in an earlier phase of the same scheme. A committee made up of councillors and community representatives is currently studying more than 50 submissions from local groups for a share of the money.

Elsewhere in Devon, funding from the latest round has been given to Devonport and Mount Wise and St Budeaux in Plymouth.

Blatchcombe and Blagdon are the areas to receive the money in Paignton. The area covered will include Foxhole, Queen Elizabeth Drive (QED) and Collaton St Mary.

The ‘Blatchcombe’ council ward ceased to exist in 2019, with much of it being absorbed into the ‘Kings Ash’ ward. The Blagdon area is also part of Kings Ash.

Figures show that life expectancy in the Kings Ash council ward, which includes Foxhole and QED, is two and a half years less than that in the council’s least deprived wards.

More than four in 10 pupils at its schools are eligible for a ‘deprivation premium’.

South Devon MP Caroline Voaden, whose constituency includes parts of Paignton outside the ring road, said: “I am really pleased, and I look forward to receiving more details and working with local organisations and councillors to ensure this money makes a tangible difference to the lives of local residents.

“Investment in disadvantaged areas is to be welcomed, especially in places that are often overlooked in broader national funding schemes.”

A spokesperson for Torbay Council said more details of the funding were expected to be announced this week.

“We welcome the government’s announcement,” said the spokesperson. “This investment aims to enhance shared spaces, breathe new life into local high streets, and improve public areas for everyone to enjoy.

“In the coming days, we’ll be learning more about how the funding will be allocated and how it can be harnessed to support our community.”