Paignton and Newton Abbot receive millions of pounds to transform towns
It comes from the Government's Future High Streets and Towns Fund
Devon and Cornwall towns are celebrating late Christmas presents after being awarded millions of pounds to transform their town centres.
Paignton and Newton Abbot are among towns that have received confirmation of the success of their bids from the Future High Streets and Towns Funds.
Paignton is being promised funding for projects worth £13.3m, while Newton Abbot gets £9.2m.
Councils now have to work with Government to agree the final schemes by the end of February.
NEWTON ABBOT
In Newton Abbot it will mean the redevelopment of the Market Hall, Market Square and the old Alexandra Cinema area to include a new ‘eating quarter’, a new cinema, a remodelled entertainment and events venue and a high-quality market space.
Pedestrian and cycling improvements for better links to shopping facilities, increased parking at Cricketfield car park, and a new cinema built on the site of the existing New Look store, with the current Alexandra cinema converted into a bar/restaurant and events venue, and the reduction of the dominance of the car in Queen Street are also in the bid.
Pedestrian Improvements & Greening along Queen Street, and Cycling Enhancements
The proposed package of works focus on the delivery of an improved environment in the heart of town
Modifying the crossing outside the rail station to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians
Increasing cycle parking in the town area at key locations; Lemon Road/Queen St. junction; Victoria Gardens; Highweek Way; ASDA
Narrowing junctions of Courtney Park Road (21m wide) & Quay Road, where there is unnecessary width, to improve safety for pedestrians.
Redistributing the loading bay capacity from outside the ex-Queens Hotel to unlock space for greening, creating an improved gateway into town
Increasing spaces for disabled parking across Queen Street, Courtney Street, and Victoria Place,
Wider pavements unlock space for tree planting at suitable locations along Queen Street, to enhance visual appeal and sense of place in this central hub of the community
Encouraging reduced car dominance via narrower carriageway along the 1-way stretch of Queen Street, enabling wider pavements, to support good-quality access for all users.
Rationalising locations of street-side parking and loading bays along Queen Street, and relocating some street-side parking to significantly increased capacity at Cricketfield
Cricketfield Car Park
Preliminary designs have been worked up to create an additional 117 spaces split over one and a half levels. This would create a net increase in parking spaces in the Town Centre of 57.
The additional capacity will enable future proposals to be drawn up for the cattle market area of the town
It will support the need for town cntre parking by increasing availability within 100m of Queen Street while also unlocking future land for further development.
Newton Abbot Market
Plans are evolving to transform the Market and Food Hall, Alexandra Cinema and Market Square to include a new eating quarter, a state of the art cinema, a remodelled entertainment and events venue and a high quality market space.
Re-connecting the Alexandra Cinema and Market Hall buildings to create a flexible market, food & events space.
A designated Food Court and seating area.
A range of permanent retail units and flexible market stall designs
A redesigned Food Hall wrapping around the building offering an open plan layout,
Improvements to the entranceways and architecture
Market Square improvements to include electricity, tree planting and provide a designated outdoor event and market space.
Relocation of first floor public toilets
Cinema
Proposals to develop a new four screen cinema, with two further units below, at the existing New Look site have already been agreed in principle subject to final funding.
The inclusion of the cinema development seeks to secure the necessary funding to support the viable delivery of the scheme.
The existing financial package and estimated occupancy remain the same, based on a recovery from Covid-19 and no long term requirements for social distancing, so there will be no need for a re-designed layout and seating design.
Throughout engagement and the preparation of the Local & Town Centre Master Pan it was clear there was support for a new multi-screen cinema in Newton Abbot.
Town development manager Sally Henley welcomed the news but called for more consultation over the detail of the proposals.
“It seems like a very long time ago that we were poring over the plans which were going to be put forward for the Future High Streets Funding bid”, she said. “It was therefore a fantastic Christmas present to hear that TDC had finally received confirmation that Newton Abbot is to receive this significant funding.
“There are various projects within the proposals and most of these have been welcomed by the community and the business community. Because the country was in lockdown due to the pandemic, however, there wasn’t a full opportunity to go out to consultation on the projects in the usual way. I hope, therefore, that TDC will consult more widely, and particularly with the business community, now that we know the funding is there.”
Teignbridge District Council leader Cllr Alan Connett said: “I am thrilled to have it confirmed this morning (Boxing Day) that Teignbridge has been awarded £9.19 million on our bid to the Government’s Future High Street Fund. There’s some more work to do on the final details but it’s a great Christmas present for the district, and Newton Abbot on which the bid was centred.
“Many people in the Council and our partners have been working on this. It’s very, very good news for all involved and my great thanks to everyone on this successful bid.
“This is a welcome and much-needed Christmas present for Teignbridge – the cash injection into Newton Abbot town centre will have a major impact on the wider Teignbridge economy, boosting jobs and creating longer term prospects for local businesses.
“At a time of significant financial hardship, uncertainty and the operational and planning challenges which the pandemic has imposed on local businesses, the impact on our high streets has been severe. This funding will help Newton Abbot and the surrounding area to grow back and flourish, and create modern high streets that embrace sustainable travel and encourage people to shop and buy local.
“Our plans for this project have been the subject of extensive public consultation and we are keen to get cracking with making them a reality.”
PAIGNTON
Paignton’s funding came after a long campaign which warned that without it, the future was grim, and the proposals include a flood defence scheme which is described as being ‘shovel-ready’, meaning work could begin quickly.
Early delivery is essential to protect Paignton town centre from regular flooding, says Torbay Council, and the scheme will lift land values while also reducing insurance costs, encouraging further investment and promoting the movement of people between the sea front and town centre.
Improvements to Station Square and the railway station are also described as ‘shovel-ready’.
Work in these locations is designed to improve the quality of public space and the experience of being in the ‘social hub’ of the town centre. It will improve access and circulation within the town centre, make better connections between different parts of the town and support ‘active travel’ to improve people’s health. Land values here will also increase.
The diversification of Victoria Street and Torbay Road focuses first on the delivery of 65 residential units in vacant or under-used space above shops and commercial space along the main spine of the town centre.
This repopulation of the town centre will meet housing need as well as driving more footfall and spending. Land values will improve, as will the night-time economy.
Paignton Picture House, the oldest purpose-built cinema in Europe, has been vacant for years. Initial work will bring the front part of the building back into use, and will eventually lead to full use of the building as a cinema, cultural and community hub, improving the cultural offer of the town centre. Redevelopment of the Victoria Centre will see delivery of a care home along with acquisition of the lease on the Lidl supermarket.
Demolition work will pave the way for 150 apartments, almost 700 square metres of commercial space and a ‘refreshed’ public square. There will be around 400 parking spaces within the development. It is predicted it will support further private-sector investment and deliver homes for young people, families and the elderly to sustain an improved high street.
Crossways will be redeveloped to provide more than 90 extra-care apartments, a café, retail space and a gym. Planning permission has already been given for this project.
In Torbay Road, public space improvements will reconnect the town centre with the sea front and improve the experience of visitors to the town centre while at the same time supporting local businesses.
The grants will trigger long-awaited schemes including the redevelopment of Crossways and the Victoria Centre in Paignton, improvements to Station Square and the restoration of the Paignton Picture House.
The overall aim is to create more homes alongside shops, leisure facilities and restaurants, increasing all-important footfall in the town centre.
Leader of Torbay Council, Cllr Steve Darling said: “This is a timely and much-needed boost for Paignton. Over the past decade the council has lost somewhere in the region of £90m as the Government has cut back its support, so we are getting back some of the money that has been taken away over the years.
“The Future High Streets funding is vital for Paignton town centre, as it provides us with the resources to accelerate the regeneration of these key sites”, he said.
“This will support the recovery and repositioning of the town centre, improving the long-term sustainability of businesses in Paignton.
“We know that over 75% of businesses in Paignton town centre are independently owned. They employ local people and provide valued local services. Their success is vital to people and families in Torbay.”
Torbay MP Kevin Foster added: “The funding will support a range of projects including work to regenerate Crossways, improve Station Square and to get the Paignton Picture House reopened. It is estimated every £1 of Future High Streets Funding could secure £7 of further investment.
“The funding will help these areas transform their high streets into vibrant hubs for future generations and to protect and create thousands of jobs. This funding is part of wider support the Government is providing to communities and businesses, to protect jobs, support the most vulnerable and ensure no one is left behind as we tackle the Covid-19 pandemic head on.
“This is fantastic news for Paignton and a real boost for the whole community. Paignton Town Centre has faced many challenges over recent years and the decline has sadly been visible for all to see. Yet the Future High Streets Fund can be a real turning point for Paignton bringing new life to the town centre and restoring the historic Picture House which has been empty for too long. The funding announced today is in addition to, not part of, the £21.9m Torquay Town Deal announced recently.”