Inequality in town highlighted

FORMER Torbay mayor Nick Bye has spoken of his concern about inequality in Torquay. He said, in part of the town, mansions were being “gold-plated” while nearby people were in poverty, writes Ed Oldfield.

Cllr Bye said: “If there was a town of inequality, Torquay is it, and we know there is absolutely no growth at the moment.”

His comments came as Torbay Council’s overview and scrutiny board was given an update on the progress of Government-backed regeneration plans for Torquay and Paignton worth an estimated £180 million to the local economy.

The Torquay Town Deal has been allocated £22 million funding for eight major projects, including a new railway station at Edginswell, near Torbay Hospital.

The schemes are mostly focused on the harbour area of the town centre, including to regenerate the Debenhams building, improve public spaces and restore the disused Pavilion.

Three extra projects have been carried out after £750,000 of extra funding was allocated to improve Upton Park, Princess Gardens and lighting on the seafront.

In Paignton, a series of seven regeneration projects were awarded a total of £13.4 million from the Future High Streets

Fund. They are the redevelopment of Crossways shopping centre, creating more homes, new flood defences, restoring Paignton Picture House, upgrading Station Square and Torbay Road, and a residential development at the Victoria Centre.

Cllr Bye, the Conservative councillor for Wellswood, who was Torbay’s first elected mayor in 2005, said there were “startling inequalities” in Torquay.

He said: “Mansions are being gold-plated in some parts of my ward and the wealth is extraordinary, and then not very far away the poverty and the decay and the decline is so very obvious.”

He said there did not appear to be a vision to tackle deep underlying issues of social inequality.

Cabinet member for economic regeneration Swithin Long, a Liberal Democrat, said the administration was focused on increasing affordable housing and ensuring economic development projects improved education and skills.

Alan Denby, director of economic strategy at TDA, the council’s economic development company, said the Town Deal for Torquay was one part of the puzzle.

Deputy leader of the council Darren Cowell, an Independent, said there was no “silver bullet” solution to inequality and deprivation.

It needed a partnership approach with a network of measures on issues such as health and housing and to strengthen the economy.