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The Future of our Town Centres
Pat Steward
Feb 2012
www.torbay.gov.uk
Generally
“High Streets and town centres that are fit for the 21st
Century need to be multifunctional social centres, not
simply competitors for stretched consumers. They must
offer irresistible opportunities and experiences that do
not exist elsewhere, are rooted in the interests and needs
of local people, and will meet the demands of a rapidly
changing world.”
Action for Market Towns, Twenty First Century Town
Centres (2011)
Torbay – what do we want?
• Leading destination of choice for people with money to spend
• Attract new visitors, investment in high quality tourism facilities and the
improvement of existing products and services.
• No out-of-centre retailing which would harm the vitality and viability of town
centres.
• Diversify the leisure and cultural offer in the town centres, particularly the night
time economy in Torquay.
• To create a more enjoyable, creative built and natural environment using
heritage assets, public art and the revitalisation of the public realm to attract
events, exhibitions and festivals.
• Reinforce a clear identity for and distinctive offer of each town;
• Strengthen their roles, particularly in terms of leisure and lifestyle
• Increase visitor numbers, spend and footfall.
Where are we now?
• People’s view, or perception, of the character of Torbay’s
town centres varies hugely.
• “Torbados”, the YouTube parody of Alicia Keys’ song
(New York State of Mind),
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mawObchMnCE
)provides an insight to the view at one end of spectrum.
• At the other end, Metronomy’s song, The Bay
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PnOG67flRA&featur
e=fvsr ) provides a very different perspective of the Bay.
What do we need to do - generally
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Identify and promote key urban locations for mixed use regeneration
including major retail, leisure, cultural and recreational opportunities
Support employment and housing provision, within and near to town
centres- including a careful scaling back of secondary shopping areas.
Support the re-use of under-utilised floorspace, above existing
businesses, as a source of employment space and housing supply
Continue a strong town centres first approach to development,
particularly for retail uses.
Support a limited number of mixed use edge of centre developments.
These will help to achieve balanced communities by delivering a mix of
employment, leisure, retail, family housing, healthcare, education and local
centre facilities.
‘relaxed’ planning requirements to support invest in re-use of redundant /
vacant properties and the public realm around them
support ‘meanwhile’ uses that help make the transition from vacant
property to valuable, long term use.
Torquay - ambition
Torquay the Commercial Centre - Torquay will develop
as the principal Town Centre of the Bay with a
regenerated Town Centre. There will be an enhanced
harbour and waterfront facilities and a strong cultural
offer. Torquay Town Centre will develop as the largest
retail and leisure centre of the Bay and become a key
lifestyle and leisure destination. This will help provide an
improved, vibrant and more enjoyable shopping and
leisure environment with better high street retail, eating
and leisure facilities.
Torquay – in the next 5 years
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More focused retail and leisure offer, principally around the Harbour, by
reducing the size of the retail area;
Utilising existing buildings, in those parts of the town that are no longer
needed for retail purposes, for more mixed use purposes including leisure,
office space, residential, cafes and restaurants.
Improved provision of quality retail facilities and other town centre uses
on lower floors with high quality residential and office space above.
Improve the accessibility of the centre as a whole and from key access
points, and also good access by public transport, by cycle and by foot.
Create a unique shopping experience with a distinct main high street offer
at Union Street, including a significant level of new housing and a leisure
based retail offer at Torquay Harbour which provides a ‘point of difference’ to
complement the rest of Torquay Town Centre
High quality ‘landmark’ buildings and significant improvements to public
spaces
Secure a Purple Flag Award for the night-time economy.
Paignton - ambition
Paignton the Family Resort - Paignton will be a vibrant,
distinct place of wide appeal with a reinvigorated Town
Centre and waterfront. Its traditional seaside experience
with be complemented by a focus on education, learning
and provision of leisure facilities for all ages. Paignton
Town Centre will be regenerated in order to reverse the
decline the town has seen in recent years. The
connectivity from the town centre to the sea front, harbour
and surrounding parks will be restored and improved.
Paignton – in the next 5 years
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Redevelopment of Crossways Shopping Centre, multi-storey car park
and land off Dendy Road, Victoria Square, and the former Woolworths
building
A Community Hub focused on Station Lane area providing community
uses, transportation hub, including improved train and bus station and
public realm enhancements.
Sustaining the vital recreational and tourism role of Paignton Green and
Esplanade, including the new play park,
Encourage proposals to redevelop the Apollo Cinema / former Festival
Theatre
Encourage the viable long-term use of the Old Paignton Cinema.
Encourage proposals to rejuvenate Paignton Harbour, enhancing its role
and character as a centre for water based activities, with associated
maritime and tourism facilities.
Improved public realm to re-establish the formerly distinctive grid pattern
of Paignton, linked to the regeneration of major development sites,
connecting the medieval town with the Victorian garden suburb.
Brixham - ambition
Brixham the Creative Harbour- To develop Brixham as
a resilient maritime town with high levels of employment,
new holiday and retail provision and a vibrant
harbourside. Mixed use regeneration is proposed in the
Brixham Town Centre, harbour and waterfront areas, to
provide a range of retail, employment, leisure and
residential facilities appropriate to the scale of the town,
and to sustain its role as a vibrant maritime resort, to
support and develop traditional industries and diversify
the economic base.
Brixham – the next 5 years
• Mixed use retail and residential development at Middle Street (on
the site of former multi storey car park).
• Mixed use employment oriented development at Freshwater
Quarry and Oxen Cove, incorporating an element of residential
use.
• Improved walking and cycling facilities to increase the permeability
of the town centre and provide a high class working and recreational
environment for residents and tourists.
• Better water-based transport links for leisure and commuting.
• Encourage developments that create a high quality vibrant public
realm with active ground floor uses including cafes, bars and
restaurants.
• Deliver an improved provision of quality retail facilities and other
town centre uses on lower floors with high quality residential and
office space above.
Thoughts
• Success of town centres critical to
success of Bay
• Focus on USP, not on competition
• Partnership, Town Centres Co. to lead e.g.
BID
• Radical solutions needed – be bold
• Multifunctional social centres – not just
retail