Brixham 'fish and chips' rejection is "kick in teeth"

Councillors get into blame game

The blame for Torbay’s failure to secure levelling up funds from central government lies with the council’s leadership, according to one councillor.

Torbay had submitted a “Fish and Chips” bid to the government that would have extended Brixham’s fish market and enabled the construction of an electronics and photonics park.

The £20 million bid was rejected by the government for a second time, sparking an angry reaction from council leader Cllr Steve Darling (Liberal Democrats, Barton with Watcombe), who called the refusal a “disgrace.”

It was described by Cllr Mike Morey (Independent, Furzeham with Summercombe) as a “kick in the teeth.”

But Conservative Cllr Nick Bye (who represents Wellswood) believes the government is not to blame as he feels the bid did not have a clear enough direction.

“Levelling up bids need to meet one of three criteria – economic growth, improved transport, and regeneration – ours did not meet any of those,” he said, adding that it is “wrong to blame the government” for the bid’s failure.

Cllr Bye said that Torbay had the chance to secure vital funding to improve Torquay’s pavilion. Bridgend County Borough Council, Rother District Council and the Borough of Broxbourne Council all made successful bids that mentioned pavilions in round two.

“Three bids that were successful were for pavilions,” he explained. “We’ve got a pavilion down there that needs £10-12 million spending on it. No one knows what we’re going to do with it or where the money’s going to come from. Well, there was your money. It makes you weep.”

Cllr Bye added that “people in the Bay are beginning to wake up to how ineffective the administration has been.”