Definite ‘no’ on £1m plan for Paignton

A PLANNED £1 million upgrade for Paignton town centre has been ruled out for this year.

Torbay’s mayor Gordon Oliver has confirmed his earlier decision to delay the improvement work for the Station Square area.

But it will be considered for next year's Torbay Council budget, covering the period from April to the end of March 2020.

The mayor decided in September to postpone the Paignton Townscape scheme which would have gone forward this year funded by borrowing almost £1.2m. The project had been agreed by the council in February as part of a £25m package of regeneration schemes for Torbay.

But the mayor said that financial pressures facing the council meant it would be wrong to commit to repayments estimated at between £63,000 and £65,000 a year.

At the full council meeting last week, the council asked the mayor to change his mind and reinstate the Paignton Townscape scheme to be fair to the town.

Councillors pointed out improving the street scene would encourage investment, and the continued “blight” of the almost-empty Crossways shopping centre at Paignton was delaying regeneration.

But in his final decision published on the council’s website, Cllr Oliver said: “The council has now virtually run out assets to sell. Our reserves are being depleted and it would not be sensible, at this time, to proceed with any further unsupported borrowing.”