Torbay buildings to be sold

They include two toilet blocks

Three prime Torbay waterfront buildings are to be sold off as the bay’s council looks to make money from some of its assets.

But the council has been warned not to let the project turn into a ‘fire sale’ by letting landmark properties go too cheaply.

Members of the bay’s all-Conservative cabinet committee voted unanimously on Tuesday 11 July to sell off toilet blocks at Corbyn Head and Preston along with the Old Toll House on Torquay seafront. All three could become cafes or bars.

The previous Liberal Democrat/Independent administration had begun working with would-be operators to develop the same sites, and it is understood that at least one of the operators still had high hopes of getting involved.

But now instead of the council building the new cafes and bars planned for the old toilets, then letting them out on long leases, the new administration plans for them to go straight onto the market.

“When we were elected we promised to deliver, and this is just the start,” pledged deputy council leader Chris Lewis (Con, Preston).

“These three buildings in prime sites have been empty for far too long.”

The aim will be to sell the sites for the highest possible prices, and use the money towards other schemes. Any future owners would have to provide public toilets as part of the deal.

An outline planning application will be submitted so that the loos can be sold at auction with permission for redevelopment. The Old Toll House will also be sold, and a review will be carried out to find any other Torbay assets which could be put on the market.

“I don’t believe it is the job of Torbay Council to build or operate these sites,” said Cllr Lewis. “It’s our job to find a solution.

“Look around the bay and you see prime examples of this kind of thing – the Breakwater Bistro at Brixham, two well-run and established cafes at Broadsands, Cantina at Goodrington, Mollys at Paignton Harbour – I could go on.

“The council is here to help people to develop these sort of sites that could be run by the private sector. Let’s not be political, let’s be positive. Let’s all work together for the good of the bay.

“This is the start of the journey.”

Cllr Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood) said the three sites could become part of Torbay’s ‘amazing’ dining-out scene.

He said: “The English Riviera is absolutely the place to come for eating out, and I don’t think we make enough of that. Let’s get action on these sites.”

But former council leader Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) told the committee he was ‘perplexed’.

“I don’t know how this magic wand of private development will work on these sites. Look at the Shedden Hall and Bancourt hotels – putting something in the private sector doesn’t give the council greater powers over developing it. It actually reduces our opportunities.”

Cllr Darling said the covid pandemic, Ukraine war and chaos in the economy during and after the short-term premiership of Liz Truss had made financial conditions difficult.

And he warned: “Could this end up being a fire sale for the local authority, and we end up selling things at less than best value?”

Cllr Lewis hit back, telling the former leader: “In the last four years you haven’t managed to do anything with them!”

He said the success of places like the Breakwater Bistro showed that the private sector was keen to invest in Torbay.

“We cannot allow these properties to be empty again for the next three or four years,” he said.