£10 million bid to revamp Newton Abbot

Includes multi-screen cinema and high-quality market

Councillors are being asked to back multi-million pound plans to secure significant investment into the regeneration of Newton Abbot town centre.

The major redevelopment of the Market Hall, Market Square and the old Alexandra Cinema area will include a new eating quarter, cinema, a remodelled entertainment and events venue and a high quality market space.

Teignbridge District Council’s executive is being recommended to submit an application to the Future High Streets Fund, which also includes pedestrian and cycling improvements for better links to shopping facilities, increased parking at Cricketfield car park. The new cinema will be built on the site of the existing New Look store, with the current Alexandra cinema converted into a bar/restaurant and events venue.

Proposed improvements along Queen Street will reduce vehicles, with some parking spaces removed from the street, but a second deck at the Cricketfield car park will see an overall increase in car parking spaces and enable the cattle market site to be redeveloped.

Public consultation over the proposals took place last month. The general feedback has been positive and it has given the council the confidence to progress with the bid, which is worth in the region of £10-11m.

Pedestrian improvements and greening along Queen Street, and cycling enhancements

The proposed package of works focus on 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 of 57 parking spaces in the town centre. 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 100 metres 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 seeks to secure the necessary funding to support the 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.