News

Plans submitted for redevelopment of The Strand on Torquay's harbourside

Acting on behalf of Torbay Council, in partnership with Willmott Dixon and Milligan, Turley has submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of The Strand - a hotel-led scheme on Torquay’s prominent harbourside.

We are providing Planning services for the scheme, which marks a major milestone in Torquay’s Regeneration Partnership journey. But like much of what is happening in Torquay, this moment is best understood not as a standalone announcement, but as part of a longer, more deliberate strategy to reshape the town centre over time.

The partnership approach being taken here is rooted in co-ordination rather than quick fixes, aligning public stewardship, private-sector delivery expertise and a shared vision for the town centre’s future. The Strand is a powerful expression of that vision.

Our Strategic Communications team was instrumental in delivering the public consultation on the proposals that was held in summer 2025, which achieved a significant level of interest and found public support for the project.

Rather than leading with a fixed masterplan, the Torquay regeneration programme has been guided by a clear but flexible vision. That has allowed individual sites to come forward when the conditions are right, each playing a distinct role while reinforcing a coherent overall strategy. 

The Strand exemplifies this approach. Sitting directly opposite Torquay Harbour and within the town centre’s Primary Shopping Area, the site includes a number of buildings that have been vacant or underperforming, including the former Debenhams store. The newly submitted planning application proposes a hotel led mixed-use redevelopment designed to re activate this prominent harbourside frontage, reconnect it with surrounding streets and strengthen Torquay’s year round economy.

The proposals include:

• A 4–6 storey hotel providing approximately 144–150 rooms, responding to identified demand for higher quality visitor accommodation
• Active ground floor commercial and food & beverage uses to bring life back to the street
• Public realm and landscape improvements, strengthening the relationship between the town centre and the harbour
• A new stepped pedestrian route linking The Strand with The Terrace, improving connectivity and permeability
• Retention and refurbishment of No. 7 The Strand and the grade II listed former bank at No. 8, alongside sensitive redevelopment of the remainder of the site

One of the core lessons from Torquay is that town centre renewal rarely follows a straight line. It requires long term commitment, the ability to adapt, and partnership structures that can endure political and economic change. 

The Strand sits within that enabling framework. Its delivery has been shaped by cross party support, clear governance and alignment with wider town centre objectives, including strengthening the visitor economy, improving everyday usefulness for residents, and making better use of publicly owned assets to catalyse change.

Rather than being “the” regeneration project, The Strand is intended to work in concert with other interventions across the town centre, helping to change perception and behaviour incrementally over time.

The Strand demonstrates what that approach can unlock: a high profile, commercially credible development that improves public access, responds sensitively to its setting and supports Torquay’s ambition to be a more active, resilient and welcoming town centre throughout the year.

As the application progresses, it will continue to be shaped by dialogue with stakeholders and the local community, reinforcing the vision led approach that has underpinned Torquay’s regeneration journey to date.

15 April 2026