Pedestrianised road to reopen to traffic

Torbay Road in Paignton will reopen both ways to traffic, Torbay Council has announced

A busy Devon town centre road which was pedestrianised is set to reopen to motorists, councillors have announced.

Torbay Council closed Paignton's Torbay Road to traffic in September 2022 as part of a trial scheme, although it reopened one-way in August last year.

However, council leader Dave Thomas has confirmed that the scheme, which cost between £300,000 and £400,000, is being scrapped.

The move was welcomed by local traders who protested against the trial.

When the scheme was introduced, the council said it had consulted with the public and 60% of 640 respondents supported the scheme.

But following criticism over the project, with local businesses saying it was "killing" trade, changes were made to bring traffic back one-way from Station Square to Queen's Road.

The road will reopen to traffic both ways the week after Easter, Mr Thomas said.

Torbay Council leader Dave Thomas said the timing of the trial "probably wasn't the best"

Mr Thomas made the announcement about the reopening while speaking to local traders on the road.

He said: "The timing of the trial probably wasn't the best.

"If you want to introduce a change of some description, against the backdrop of where we were coming out of Covid and in where we are in a business point of view, anything else that was actually added to the pot at that particular time was not helpful."

'Complete nightmare'

Business owners on Torbay Road praised the decision.

Oggy Oggy pasty shop owner Terry Barber said it would improve trade "five-fold" along the road.

He added: "It's worth having a business here again as opposed to the last two years when it has just been a complete nightmare."

Cafe owner Sheena Robinson said her business had been "holding on by its fingernails" because of the road's pedestrianisation.

Following Mr Thomas's announcement, she said: "We won - people power".