Paignton's 'Golden Mile' to re-open

Traffic has been banned for nearly a year

Paignton’s tourist ‘Golden Mile’ is likely to re-open to traffic in August, but Torbay Council has been urged to get on with it before it is too late for some under-fire traders.

It will almost certainly be a partial re-opening of the street, where traffic has been banned for nearly a year. Traders in Torbay Road say their businesses have been badly hit by the loss of parking and passing traffic.

Some say they fear for their futures, and one long-standing trader explained he had endured a day when, for the first time ever, he took no money over the counter.

The road from Station Square to the sea front was closed completely last September as Torbay Council began a pedestrianisation trial, which had been the favoured option of people taking part in a consultation.

The majority of participants wanted cars banned, saying it would be safer and more environmentally-friendly.

But traders quickly found their their takings being hit, and an angry protest march saw a number of them carrying banners reading: “Save Paignton: Re-Open Torbay Road”.

The council responded with a second phase of its trial, with cars allowed back into the lower end of the street from the seafront direction, but keeping the ban on the top half, from Queens Road to Station Square.

The vehicle ban became a hot topic in the run-up to the local council elections in May, and immediately after their victory the new Tory administration pledged to overturn the ban brought in by the previous Liberal Democrat/Independent coalition.

But it has proved difficult to make the changes, and three months will have passed by the time the traffic is allowed again.

Cars will soon be able to use Torbay Road, coming one-way only from Station Square to meet the traffic coming up from the seafront at Queens Road. The new move will also mean the end of the current single-lane layout in Hyde Road, and will give some parking in the busy street.

Fed-up traders say the change cannot come soon enough.

Martin Bullus, who has run the Come West clothing store in Torbay Road since 1985, took to social media to say recent bad weather had brought “huge problems.”

He wrote: “I have been here for nearly 40 years and some summers the weather can be very bad, but Come West will still have reasonable days with good footflow. But I have never known a day like this at this time of the year.

“In my opinion, the main reason for this is the closure of Torbay Road. Our main season is very short and we suffered badly throughout the winter. I believe this is also going to affect the evening trade which customers look forward to.”

Council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) conceded: “We have had a number of issues with getting this new trial in place. With huge regret it did not happen as quickly as we hoped it would.

“We are committed to deliver on the scheme that we have previously spoken about. We have a date in early August that we have been promised the work will be completed by.

“We apologise for the extended delay – however we will deliver on the new trial.”

Mr Bullus said the last year had left the traders of Torbay Road in a terrible position.

“Eleven months and all that cost to achieve nothing, and now more misery and indecision,” he wrote.

“Why not put it back to how it was until you can come up with a better plan? I don’t know what the holdup is, but it really needs to be sorted quickly and everyone informed as high season is over by the end of August.”