Council plans prominent building sell-off in Torbay

Previous development plans fell through

Torbay Council is going back to the drawing board with plans to sell off prominent buildings at three prime sites.

The council’s previous administration had announced plans to bring new businesses in to take over toilet blocks at Preston and Corbyn Head as well as the Old Toll House on Torquay seafront. Developers had been lined up and planning applications submitted, but all three deals fell through.

Now the new Conservative administration on the council wants to sell off the same three buildings to raise money and save on repair and maintenance costs.

Members of the bay’s cabinet committee will be asked to approve the sell-off when they meet on Tuesday next week.

The aim will be to sell the sites for the highest possible prices, and use the money towards other schemes. Any future owners of the toilet blocks would have to provide public toilets as part of the deal.

If members of the cabinet agree, an outline planning application will be submitted so that the loos can be sold at auction with permission for redevelopment.

The Old Toll House will also be sold, and a review will be carried out to find any other Torbay assets which could be put on the market.

In 2021 the council pledged £2 million to pay for the redevelopment of the toilet blocks at Preston North and Corbyn Head. The aim was to do up the two blocks, then lease them to developers who would turn them into top-quality waterfront cafe/bars.

Local companies had already been lined up as preferred partners for the developments, but the plans stalled and the sites have remained untouched.

The Old Toll House was the subject of a planning application for an ultra-modern cafe bar as long ago as 2019. It was originally built in 1842 so that tolls could be collected from people using the then-new seafront. It has also served as public toilets.

The Corbyn Head block is in the most sensitive location as it is close to the site of the National Home Guard Memorial and the place where six soldiers were killed when an anti-aircraft gun exploded during a training exercise in 1944.