Road closure to last into July as dispute drags on

A main road through the centre of Paignton is set to stay closed into July as a legal dispute over a crumbling row of buildings drags on, leaving businesses shut and commuters facing long detours.

The stretch of Victoria Street has been shut since the end of May, with traffic diverted along the seafront and buses rerouted around the outskirts of town.

Behind the fencing, a row of buildings at 62 to 70 Victoria Street, home to a pub, takeaway and mobile phone shop, has been empty since November last year over safety fears.

Torbay Council said it was still in talks with the owners of the properties in Station Square, who have been contacted for comment.

Council engineers have been working inside the site using cranes to reach damaged areas, with sections of the upper floors removed and covered, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A council spokesperson said: "We are currently progressing through the necessary legal processes following the use of our emergency powers to remove the immediate risk posed by the building.

"At the same time, we are in active discussions with the building's owners to agree a practical and sustainable way forward."

They added: "We will provide a further update on next steps once the legal processes have been completed, which we anticipate will be within the next couple of weeks."

The building is owned by locally-based Solanki Holdings, which originally wanted to demolish the dilapidated block to build a development called Victoria Heights with apartments on the upper floors and shops below.

The company has been contacted for comment but has yet to respond.

The council previously turned down a proposal to flatten the site due to the building's historical and architectural significance within the Old Paignton Conservation Area.

It was built in the 1890s as the Bailey's Hotel to accommodate and impress the increasing number of visitors arriving by train.

Save Britain's Heritage, which made it the Building of the Month, said: "The future of this important piece of Paignton heritage is now very much at risk due to years of consistent neglect."

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