A NIGHT MAYOR VISION

It must have now become apparent to even the most diehard supporter of the idea of an elected mayor what a disaster the whole 'experiment' has been. The flurry of letters from across the political spectrum and the strength of the views expressed therein suggest that people do not simply disagree with the finer details of the Mayoral Vision, but firmly believe that this is a strategy which will do nothing to solve the underlying problems that the area faces.

The Mayoral Vision
I am not against change at all; having lived in Manchester and Wolverhampton I've seen how development of former industrial sites can regenerate an area, and I agree that part of the problem is that Torbay has not moved with the times. However, what has been outlined in the Mayoral Vision is something put forward by a team of consultants, and has absolutely no substance as far as I can see. The consultants themselves have been quick to point this out, but many people seem to think that this 'vision' should be beyond scrutiny or criticism. I have included the video presentation below, so scroll down and judge for yourself.

Rock Walk
The damage is done now, and it will remain something of an eyesore for years to come, but regardless of what the council's 'experts' say, I am convinced that the safety issues could have been addressed without the wholesale destruction of the area. I think the lack of adequate diversion signs and the lack of warning given to traders around the harbour should have been a resignation issue for those responsible.

Torquay Town Centre and Parking Charges
As I see it the town is dying for three main reasons: out-of-town shopping with free parking at the Willows, competition from vastly superior shopping centres in nearby Plymouth and Exeter, and the Internet. The Rock Walk fiasco can now be added to that list, but I would argue that its effect is relatively small compared to the other reasons. Any talk of 'high-spending visitors' and 'niche retail' as a solution to the problem is complete and utter nonsense. A thriving retail environment can only be based on footfall (i.e. potential customers walking past your shop). The recent closures of BarMed and the Hogshead are evidence of this. Once footfall starts to decline in an area retailers look at their figures, and when they don't add up, they pull out. In turn this has a negative effect on footfall, and a vicious circle is created as footfall spirals downwards. Put simply, businesses fail because there aren't enough people in town spending money, and the number of people in town decreases because there are fewer and fewer businesses there to attract them. It's a very serious situation, and one which is fundamental to the overall sucess and attractiveness of the town. Drastic measures are required to halt the decline, and free parking for shoppers clearly has to be part of any strategy. The argument that the council cannot afford the loss in revenue does not hold water. This is a crisis, and the cash must be found to fund a revival. Money has to be moved from one budget to another if needs be; that's what would happen if the town was a private business, and that's what mayors and councillors are elected to do. Unfortunately the Mayor's view on parking is diametrically opposed to this argument. He refuses to make any reductions to parking charges, proposes to sell town centre car parks for high-rise development, and plans to introduce parking meters. The disastrous NCP contract should have taught us all a valuable lesson, and that is that imposing charges (in this case parking fines) leads to a change in behaviour, so you can't just assume that motorists who park on the road while it is free will automatically park there when they have to pay. The result is more likely to be more motorists parking in free residential areas and walking further.

Selling Land for Redevelopment
The Mayoral Vision makes much of large scale residential building development in prime locations around the harbour. This will produce revenue from the sale of land, but will surely create more problems for retailers if car parks are included in the sale. Such developments are unlikely to be affordable housing, so I fail to see any real benefits at all, except of course for the developers who can sell luxury apartments either as first or second homes.

The Balloon and Covenants on Land
Personally I am not against the idea of a balloon per se, but the siting of it at Torre Abbey seems crazy. The Mayor's attempt to bribe the Cary Estate with a £1,000 donation to charity was shameful, the Deputy Mayor's comments regarding covenants on land just beggar belief, and the way work has begun before all these things have been properly addressed seem to be indicative of the way the Mayor and his councillors are prepared to ignore the law and the will of the people.

The Casino
I'm very sceptical about the benefits this will bring, and very uneasy when the seafront or the Pavilion are mentioned as possible sites. I can't see how it will differ very much from the existing casino.

The Babbacombe Beach Development
The area of land involved in this sell-off seems to be steadily increasing, and the whole thing looks like privatisation in all but name.