Plans to revamp Paignton’s high street have been shelved after Torbay Council confirmed it will divert regeneration money to accelerate construction of a supported housing project. The council said it secured government approval to reallocate funds originally earmarked for town centre improvements to build about 90 extra-care homes and a day centre on the site of the former Crossways Shopping Centre.
Officials said delays to the high street scheme, caused by the need to replace a gas pipe, risked the money missing its spending deadline. Councillor Chris Lewis admitted “pausing the public realm works for now wasn’t an easy decision” but argued it was the only way to “avoid losing the funding”.
The announcement is the latest twist in Paignton’s long-running struggle to reverse its decline.
The south Devon resort, once thriving on tourism, has faced decades of underinvestment, shop closures, and rising social problems.
For many locals, the council’s decision has deepened frustration. Richard Askew, who leads Action for Paignton, accused the authority of mishandling earlier regeneration attempts.
He cited the so-called “golden mile” project on the town’s main arcade street, where he says “they spent half a million pounds [on] consultants and schemes, and they scrapped it”.
“Now we’re just waiting for Station Square, which is really a central space where you arrive at the railway, close to the bus station. And you will see we’re not happy with it,” he said.
Askew believes investment is “long overdue”, arguing Paignton has been “ticking along on the bottom since the 1980s”.
He also accused the council of ignoring grassroots voices. “Here, they really see us as a pain in the arse, and they just don’t want to speak to us. They’re just ignoring us, and we’re coming up with better schemes,” he said.
Askew urged the council to invest more in facilities for young people to tackle antisocial behaviour and make better use of Paignton’s assets, from water sports to bowling greens. “It’s so disappointing because it is so easy to get right,” he added.
On the high street, long-serving butcher Donald Vaughan, who has worked in Paignton for 37 years, described the area as “grim”.
“It used to be really busy. Now it’s like a ghost town,” he said, lamenting the spread of charity shops. With a dark chuckle, he joked they’re ideal “if you want to buy a pair of underpants your Uncle Bob died in as someone’s Christmas present,” before quickly apologising.
Maintenance worker Darren Gouldthorpe, who moved to Paignton in the 1990s, agreed the town has declined. “It’s changed terribly… we just haven’t really got the shops in Paignton anymore,” he said. “It’s got the alcoholics and druggies on the streets. We’re losing all tourist things, like gift shops.”
While Gouldthorpe welcomed signs of redevelopment, he was sceptical about progress. “It’s hard to tell. They keep demolishing things and building car parks. I don’t think it’s the council, I think it took them too long to realise they need to update the area.”
Council insists regeneration will continue
Despite the setback, Torbay Council stressed it remains “100% committed” to town centre regeneration. Other projects are still in progress, including the restoration of Paignton Picture House, Europe’s oldest surviving purpose-built cinema, due to reopen in 2026.
