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Town faces big changes as council unveils 'vision'

Guy Henderson,Local Democracy Reporting Service and
Jonathan Morris,South West
Ed Oldfield The image shows a bus station in Paignton, Devon. In the foreground, there is a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights and a road marking that says “LOOK LEFT.” To the right, there is a building with a bright blue sign reading “Paignton Travelshop,” and its windows are covered with posters advertising travel services and ticket information. In the centre and left of the image, there are buses parked, including a green and white double-decker bus with an advert on its side. Behind the buses, there is a covered walkway where people are standing. In the background, you can see rooftops of houses and a church with a tall spire, set against a cloudy sky with patches of blue. Ed Oldfield
A multi-storey car park could be built off Station Lane while Stagecoach looks to scale down its use of Paignton bus station

A town could lose its bus station but gain a new supermarket and multi-storey car park under a plan for its future.

Torbay Council's cabinet has signed off on a document outlining a "vision" for regeneration for Paignton, which will now go out for discussion with residents and developers.

"It is about promoting Paignton to the outside world," said deputy leader, councillor Chris Lewis.

"It is about sharing the fact that we are serious about the regeneration of the town. Rome wasn't built in a day, and Paignton won't be changed in a day, but there are exciting regeneration projects under way."

'Exciting times'

The plan suggests a multi-storey car park could be built off Station Lane, while Stagecoach looks to scale down its use of Paignton bus station, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Its new electric buses will be based in Torquay, but Paignton's routes will stay the same.

"If Stagecoach wants to move to a smaller site it's an opportunity for us to see if we can put a supermarket there with flats above it," said Lewis.

Talks are also under way to improve derelict buildings in Station Square. "They have been derelict for far too long," he said.

"These are exciting times for Paignton," he added.

Stagecoach confirmed that its buses would no longer be based overnight at Paignton Bus Station, with some transferring to its nearby Torquay site.

Peter Knight, managing director at Stagecoach South West, said: "This change forms part of our wider plans to develop a more sustainable, fully electric bus network for Torbay, with the Torquay depot set to become Stagecoach South West's main electric vehicle operating base from early 2026."

He said there would be "no impact on local bus services, and all Paignton routes will continue to run as normal".

"Stagecoach remains committed to delivering reliable, low-emission transport for local communities and will continue working closely with Torbay Council as its regeneration plans progress," he added.

Councillor Nick Bye said the current seafront project, including new sea defences, would "transform" Paignton.

"Paignton is the future," he said. "So much is going on that we can be proud of. A successful vision will be what drives its regeneration."

But, councillor Darren Cowell said: "If this is a vision, whose vision is it?

"The feedback I have had is that the community seems to have been forgotten. And so far delivery seems to be demolition."

Councillor Swithin Long added: "We've had lots of exciting projects mentioned, but all we've had so far is car parks being turned into car parks."

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