Torquay harbourside Pavilion deal completed at last

'This milestone marks a new chapter for us and the community'

Torbay Council has finally regained full control of Torquay’s historic harbourside Pavilion.

The council announced that it was to retake the lease on the former theatre from MDL Marinas at the end of September so it could begin work on restoration.

But the deadline passed, with the council blaming a ‘third party’ which had held up the final legal procedures.

Now the council says the ‘milestone’ deal has been done.

Deputy council leader Chris Lewis (Con, Preston) said: “The Pavilion is a vital part of our local heritage, and we are committed to seeing it restored to its former glory.”

The building has fallen into disrepair, with damp inside the building and broken windows allowing vandals and intruders to get in. Conservation campaigners threatened the council with legal action if it did not take steps to protect the building.

Now teams will begin work on preventing further damage, as well as drawing up studies to develop a detailed restoration plan.

Cllr Lewis said the journey to reclaim the Pavilion had been a lengthy and challenging process, taking longer than the council initially anticipated.

He said the immediate focus would be on ensuring that the building is secure, and a team had already been in to start repairing windows.

Initial repairs will be paid for using the government’s Town Deal funding and the fee the council received from the surrender of the lease. A budget to fund the full restoration is yet to be determined and will depend on the scale of work required.

The council plans to work with organisations including English Heritage and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

An agent has been appointed to attract an ‘end user’ for the building, and the council says it wants to see something that will enhance Torbay’s cultural offer and bring more people to the area.

Cllr Lewis went on: “We know it has taken us longer than we anticipated to get to this stage, and we appreciate the community’s support and patience.

“Now we have full control of the building we can start to move forward with our plans to protect and restore it. There is still a long way to go until we can open the doors to the Pavilion, but this milestone marks a new chapter for us and the community.”