Torbay Council faces ‘difficult decisions’ on Oldway

Outside developer may have a role to play

People in Torbay are being urged to have their say on the future of one of the bay’s most important historical assets.

Paignton’s Oldway Mansion is gradually decaying while plans are being drawn up for its future. On Saturday 17 June, a major public engagement event at the 19th century mansion will give people a chance to make their feelings known.

The buildings and its gardens – modelled on the palace of Versailles near Paris, were once home to the wealthy Singer family. The mansions was later used as council offices and a register office, with hundreds of local couples tying the knot there.

But with a restoration bill costing up to £40 million to bring the house and grounds back to their former glory, Torbay Council is warning: “We can’t do it alone.”

Cash from the National Lottery is already being used to draw up plans for the future, along with some money from the council, but outside partners will be needed to fund full restoration.

And that could mean some parts of Oldway being used as homes once more. The latest consultations show community uses for the lower floors of the building, including a register office for weddings, a cafe, exhibition spaces and units for local craft shops.

But the same sketches show council offices or residential use on the floors above, with no public access to those areas.

“The restoration bill now is so high that we have got to look outside the box,” said Torbay Council’s deputy leader Cllr Chris Lewis (Con, Preston).

“The lottery and other funders may be able to provide some of the money, but not all of it.

“We will have to find external finance to get the mansion back to its former self.

“Difficult decisions will have to be made, but now is not the time to make them. Now is the time to hear what people want for their mansion. Then we will have to sit down and talk about the long-term future.

“But we were having these same discussions when I first got on the council 16 years ago. We can’t go on doing it. We have got to make a decision.”

Some years ago there were serious moves to sell Oldway for development, but Cllr Lewis believes the issues have moved on.

“Those times have gone,” he said. “We are not looking to sell it. We are looking for a joint partner to come in and help us return Oldway to its former glory.

“Whether that involves residential development or offices, we don’t know. That’s why we are having this consultation.”

All the proposals can be viewed online at the Torbay Council website, and people have until midnight on Friday 30 June to take part in the consultation.

On Saturday 17 June between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the grounds of Oldway, the proposals will be on show at a face-to-face consultation aimed at families, with free play events and activities.

Cllr Lewis went on: “It is very important that we reach as many people as possible, because this will be led by the community.  The more people that come on Saturday, the better.”