Sustainable planting, murals and an art trail are just some of the improvements coming to Torquay town centre in the coming weeks.

Five community groups have successfully bid for a share of money to spend on projects which aim to improve the look and feel of areas in and around the town centre.

The Safer Streets Community Innovation Fund invited bids of between £500 and £6,000 from local community groups, registered charities, social enterprises and other organisations.

Projects needed to prevent crime, keep the area safe and support community cohesion.

The five successful groups are:

Groundwork South (£3,500)

Resident-driven improvements to Warren Road, Warren Hill and Melville Street including bin stores, way markers and an art trail

Artizan CIC (£3,500)

A mural at Temperance Street café and hub

Torquay Town Centre Community Partnership (£468)

Enhancements to the Lucius Street area with sustainable/year-round planting

Torre and Upton Community Partnership (£3,500)

A mural on the walls/ceiling at East Street and the installation of solar lighting

Ellacombe Community Partnership (£1940)

The repair and replacement of broken or unsafe fencing around the new community garden in Ellacombe Park

Work is well underway on the projects, with the East Street mural (pictured) nearing completion.

We, alongside the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, received money from the government’s Safer Streets Fund last year to carry out work and take action to discourage anti-social behaviour and reduce violence against women and girls in Torquay town centre.

This money is part of that fund and the projects are being supported by the local Community Builders.

Councillor Hayley Tranter, Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Alongside our partners in the police, we’ve been delivering improvements in the town centre – such as more CCTV cameras – but we want members of the public to be involved too.

“These awards have done just that. They’ve allowed the community to put forward their ideas and, if chosen, follow them through to fruition. I can’t wait to see them all come to life.

“Residents know their communities best so it makes sense that they should decide how to spend this money.”

The successful applications were determined by a panel made up of representatives from local community partnerships, SWISCo, police and Safer Communities and the fund was overseen by Torbay Communities, formerly known as Torbay Community Development Trust.

If you missed out on funding this time, why not apply for a Police and Crime Commissioner grant?

Devon Community Foundation offers grants of up to £10,000 for projects and initiatives which reduce violence, tackle anti-social behaviour and drug use and support victims of crime.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 8 November at 12 noon.

Picture of the East Street mural. With thanks to Torre and Upton Community Partnership