Paignton ‘vision’ could mean end of the road for bus station

Paignton could be in line to lose its bus station but gain a new supermarket and multi-storey car park as part of a wide-ranging ‘vision’ for the town.

Members of Torbay Council’s cabinet have rubber-stamped the document, which is a concept to be discussed with the community and would-be developers rather than a planning proposal.
The vision sets out what might happen to the town over the next decade or so.
“It is about promoting Paignton to the outside world,” said the council’s deputy leader Cllr Chris Lewis (Con, Preston). “It is about sharing the fact that we are serious about the regeneration of the town.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Paignton won’t be changed in a day, but there are exciting regeneration projects under way.”
The meeting heard that a new multi-storey car park could be built off Station Lane, and that Stagecoach was looking to scale down its use of Paignton bus station. The company’s Torquay base will be where its new fleet of electric buses will be based, although Paignton’s routes will not be affected.
“If Stagecoach wants to move to a smaller site it’s an opportunity for us to see if we can put a supermarket there with flats above it,” said Cllr Lewis. And, he said, discussions were under way with the owner of the run-down buildings in Station Square to try to improve them.
“They have been derelict for far too long,” he said. “These are exciting times for Paignton.”
Cllr Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood) said the current sea front project, which includes sea defences, would ‘transform’ Paignton. And, he added: “Paignton is the future. So much is going on that we can be proud of.
“A successful vision will be what drives its regeneration.”
However, some councillors have expressed concerns that the vision could lead to the ‘gentrification’ of Paignton Harbour at the expense of its current users.
And Cllr Darren Cowell (Ind, Shiphay) said: “If this is a vision, whose vision is it?
“The feedback I have had is that the community seems to have been forgotten. And so far delivery seems to be demolition. We seem to be demolishing a lot of places without the business plans being in place to replace them.”
Cllr Swithin Long (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) added: “We’ve had lots of exciting projects mentioned, but all we’ve had so far is car parks being turned into car parks.”