Paignton's biggest revamp in decades begins

Seafront gets major upgrade

Work has begun on a multi-million-pound scheme to transform Paignton seafront.

A large compound has been created at the south end of the Green and work is under way on the first phase of the 18-month project. Work on a similar project at nearby Preston seafront will also begin this winter.

Government money is paying for the £13.5million scheme, which will give the two seafronts a complete revamp.

New public areas will be created along with defences which are designed to keep the town safe from storms and flooding as sea levels rise in coming years due to climate change.

Work at Paignton will be done in three separate phases lasting until May 2027. The Preston development will be carried out in a single phase, with work going on through to December 2026.

There have already been objections from owners of some beach huts at Preston, who say the council should ‘phase’ the work there to allow some beach huts to remain in place.

The plan is to have no beach huts at all along the prom for the 2026 summer season.

A spokesman for Torbay Council said: “Building the new defences will take time. There may be some disruption, but we’ll try to keep things running smoothly.

“The promenades will stay open to walk along, but they may be narrower in some places.

Beach access might change slightly, but both beaches will stay open.

“Events on Paignton and Preston Greens may be affected, but we’ll work to keep them going.”

One effect of the Paignton work will be an end to the menace of car and motorbike joy-riders racing around the green at night, a problem which has become particularly bad this summer.

Police have mounted extra patrols to deal with the issue, which has brought a flood of complaints from residents and local hoteliers.

Having a pedestrian-only area beside the entrance to the pier will mean no through-traffic on the prom itself, although some parking spaces will be lost as a result.

The revamp is the biggest building project in Paignton for decades, and in addition to the sea defences, it will bring a new upper promenade with seating terraces and greenery.

Shelters will be relocated as will kiosks and cafes. Vehicles will be able to access the seafront along the existing pier road and through a new entrance on the south green.

At the time planning permission was given, Cllr Adam Billings (Con, Churston with Galmpton) said: “All the evidence indicates that without this scheme there will be a high likelihood of flooding in large sections of Paignton in the future. There is a very clear need for a scheme like this.

“And what we’ve got here is something that seeks to enhance the space and create a sea defence in a way that doesn’t obviously look like a sea defence.”