Torbay Council is giving local people more time to have their say on its draft Local Plan and shape ideas on where development should go in Torbay. Following a series of drop-in events, webinars and meetings, the consultation period has been extended and will now close at 23.59 on Monday 2 February.
The Local Plan will help guide development in Torbay for the next 20 years. It covers a range of planning issues and supporting policies inareas such as housing and affordable homes; climate change and environmental protection; economic growth and job creation; local heritage; community safety; transport; infrastructure; public spaces and sports facilities.
Housing is a key focus area of the plan. The Government has published binding housing targets for all Local Authorities, including 950 dwellings a year for Torbay. It has also set councils a deadline of December 2026 to submit Local Plans for examination by a government appointed inspector.
Torbay Council is taking a robust ‘no stone left unturned’ approach to find land for homes and other development. However, environmental constraints and a shortage of suitable land mean it is unable to achievethe Government’s highly ambitious target for Torbay.
As detailed in the draft Local Plan, Torbay Council is proposing to deliver 400 dwellings a year, or 8,000 homes over a 20-year period. This is in addition to at least 80,000 sq. m of employment land.
Housing delivery will be focused on development on brownfield sites within the three towns in Torbay. This is in addition to ambitious town centre regeneration and accommodation repurposing (“Hotels to Homes”) programmes aimed at creating new homes.
By extending the consultation deadline, Torbay Council is hoping more people will share their thoughts on the sites proposed for development. It is also a chance for landowners to put forward sites for consideration.
Following the consultation, Torbay Council will review all comments to help shape the final preferred version of the plan. This will be the subject of further consultation in summer 2026. There will be less opportunity to influence the plan at these later stages, so now really is the time for people to get involved and have their say.
Cllr Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth at Torbay Council said: “With so much going on in the Council at the moment in terms of urban regeneration and heritage restoration projects, we don’t want people to miss the chance to take part in this important consultation. The Local Plan is a crucial document that will help shape Torbay over the next two decades. It covers many aspects of land use, including jobs, tourism, town centres, community facilities, flood risk and climate change, environmental protection, and infrastructure. But critically, the Local Plan sets out how far the Council is able to meet the Government’s housing targets and our proposed plans for housing development. I strongly encourage local people to take part in the consultation so that we can hear their thoughts and shape our local plan together.”
To view the Local Plan and take part in the consultation visit: Torbay Council – Consultations
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