We are pleased to announce that we have regained full control of Torquay Pavilion.

This milestone marks the beginning of a new chapter for the cherished local asset, as our teams can begin work on essential protection to prevent further damage and commence comprehensive studies to develop a detailed restoration plan.

The journey to reclaim the Pavilion has been a lengthy and challenging process, taking longer than we initially anticipated.

Now the building is under our control, the immediate focus is to ensure that the building is secure. We had a team enter the building first thing this morning to start securing up windows. The next steps are to undertake a detailed scope of intrusive investigations and inspections to develop a clear understanding of the building’s condition. This work will inform on the extent of the remedial works require to reinstate the integrity of the existing structure.

Initial repair work will be funded using Town Deal funding and the fee we received from the surrender of the lease. A budget to fund the full restoration is yet to be determined and will be dependent on the scope and scale of work that is required.

Restoration plans will require us to work collaboratively with organisations such as English Heritage and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, who it has a 10-year partnership with through the Heritage Places initiative.

A commercial agent has been appointed by us, to attract an end user for the building. A strong preference of ours and the community is to attract an occupier that will enhance Torbay’s growing cultural offer and bring additional footfall to the area.

Cllr Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth at Torbay Council, said; “The Pavilion is a vital part of our local heritage, and we are committed to seeing it restored to its former glory.

“We know it has taken us longer than we anticipated to get to this stage, and we appreciate the community’s support and patience.

“Now we have full control of the building we can start to move forward with our plans to protect and restore it. There is still long way to go until we can open the doors to the Pavilion, but this milestone marks a new chapter for us and the community.”