Video showcases multi-million-pound Torquay plan

'This will re-establish Torbay'

A new computer generated ‘fly-by’ video promises a sun-soaked future for a revamped Torquay harbourside.

Torbay Council has created the video in conjunction with its development partners Willmott Dixon and Milligan as part of its consultations on the multi-million-pound harbourside scheme.

The proposals are part of a wider project to revitalise Torquay town centre using millions of pounds of public sector money from the government. A formal planning application is likely to be submitted in the autumn.

The council bought the old Debenhams building soon after it was vacated by the department store company in 2020.

The latest proposals are for a 150-bedroom hotel with a rooftop terrace and ground floor space for restaurants, bars and shops.

Latest designs are said to be inspired by Torbay’s Victorian heritage and the ‘golden era of travel’ when the area was celebrated as a luxurious seaside destination. They include a ‘sweeping’ staircase to connect the harbourside with The Terrace.

Torbay Council says there will be a wide range of benefits including the creation of more than 150 full-time jobs in the development, which could attract more than 86,000 visitors over the next 30 years, generated around £32million in wages for people working there.

The new hotel, rooftop terrace, and ground floor retail space will increase activity along the waterfront, says the council, delivering further economic and social benefits

Reducing the number of empty shops, it says, will help make the town centre more vibrant and welcoming.

The council’s deputy leader Chris Lewis (Con, Preston) said the proposals would ‘re-establish Torbay as a world-class destination’, and he urged local people to make their voices heard during the consultation.

The video begins with drone footage of the existing harbourside before going into a computer-generated tour of the planned new buildings, seen from ground level. It then shows how the tree-lined staircase links to The Terrace.

It ends on the rooftop terrace of the new hotel, looking out to sea, before swinging around to take in the whole development.

The last in the series of in-person, drop-in consultation events organised by the council takes place on July 22 from 3pm to 7pm at 77 Fleet Street, Torquay. An online consultation page will be available until midnight on July 25.

The consultation has been running since July 4.