Paignton tourist street set to reopen to traffic

A busy seaside resort road in Devon is likely to reopen to traffic in August.

Traffic was banned from Torbay Road in Paignton in September 2022 as part of a pedestrianisation trial.

At the time, Torbay Council said there was public support for the scheme, but traders have said their businesses have been impacted.

Under new plans, vehicles will be able to use Torbay Road one-way from Station Square to meet the traffic coming from the seafront at Queens Road.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the council had initially responded to traders' concerns by reopening the lower half of the street, which is also known as the Golden Mile, from the seafront direction, but keeping the ban on the top half, from Queens Road to Station Square.

The vehicle ban became a hot topic in the run-up to the local council elections in May and immediately after their victory the new Tory administration pledged to overturn the ban brought in by the previous Liberal Democrat/Independent coalition.

Council leader David Thomas said: "We have had a number of issues with getting this new trial in place. With huge regret it did not happen as quickly as we hoped it would.

"We are committed to deliver on the scheme that we have previously spoken about. We have a date in early August that we have been promised the work will be completed by.

"We apologise for the extended delay - however we will deliver on the new trial."

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