We are thrilled to announce that Torquay's new look harbourside will be open to pedestrians and vehicles tomorrow evening.

Torquay's first Town Deal funded project can be experienced and enjoyed from the evening of Friday 29 November. The newly created public realm space will be ready to welcome pedestrians and the road re-opens, in time for the opening night of the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail.

The opening of the enhanced area alongside the harbourside is overlooked by the Grade II listed Mallock Clock Tower, which for the first time in decades can be experienced close up. Previously, sited on a roundabout in the middle of the road, the repaired clock proudly stands illuminated and chiming, providing the perfect contrast between the old and new.

New seating, feature lighting and bike parking has been installed as part of the community led redesign to encourage more people to visit and dwell in the area.

The Strand, which was previously dominated by public transport, now sees buses permanently relocated to Cary Parade where new areas with shelters and seating have been created for bus passengers.

The road which is set to be open by 5pm, has been closed for over six weeks to allow for the final phases of work to take place. During those six weeks, junction reconfiguration works have been taking place at Fleet Street and at Torwood Street / Victoria Parade. The road has also been resurfaced and new road markings put down to reflect the new highway layout. The Council advises pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to take extra care in the area as they adjust to the new road layout.

In a race to get the area ready for the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail opening night and the road re-opened, finishing works to some areas will be ongoing until mid-December. These works will not impact the Illumination Trail, live music nights or traffic flow.

Bus services which have been on a diversion route since mid-October, will return to normal at the start of service on Saturday 30 November.

Cllr Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth at Torbay Council, said; "Torquay's new look harbourside is ready for people to visit and enjoy. We're looking forward to welcoming everyone down this weekend so they can see how the space has been redesigned to host events such as the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail.

"I'd like to thank businesses in the area and the public for their patience, understanding, and support as we delivered this project for Torbay. We know at time it has been challenging but we hope everyone enjoys the new look harbourside.

"This is the first of the Town Deal projects that we have delivered, we have more projects underway as we look to create a town centre that is well-connected, vibrant and provides a range of benefits for residents, businesses and visitors."

Over Easter 2025, we will be formally opening the harbourside, this will coincide with the installation of the specially commissioned tribute to Agatha Christie, a mini–Agatha Christie Festival and a range of events and activities. Further information will be shared in early spring.

Find more information on the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail, opening night and live music events via: https://illuminationtrail.co.uk/