The 'rundown' UK seaside town set for huge £70m comeback - 'It's actually beautiful!'

As you arrive at the waterside, it’s hard not to be struck by the palm trees, the flowers, and the curved harbour welcoming you to Torquay. On a summer's day, you could easily be tricked into thinking you're abroad.

Lush green hills frame the waterside, where superyachts bob in the harbour. People dine outside cafes tucked into the steep hills, and small coffee shops are dotted across the pretty waterfront pedestrianised zone. It's no wonder the town has been considered one of the quintessentially British holiday spots. But today, locals in the town fear Torquay's best days are behind it.

Some who had visited Torquay years before said it didn’t meet the glory of its heyday, while others maintain that the town has held on to its allure. 

Michelle Brown of Torquay Watersports isn't buying into some of the pessimism. 

Sitting by the waterfront, she tells us: “They've got some amazing projects coming up with The Strand development, the one at the top of town, and the hotel opening up. So, it's getting there.

"I just think that it's been stagnant for a little while. It hasn't done Torquay any favours, but we're getting there.”

There has been some serious investment, with plenty more in the pipeline. The Strand at the harbourside was turned into a piazza-style promenade, with wider pedestrian areas for dining and seating, and better public transport links. 

A former Debenhams department store is set to be demolished, replaced with new homes, cafes, restaurants, and an upmarket hotel.

There are plans in the town centre too, and further development at The Strand, which the council predicted would provide about 80 full-time jobs, £32million in wages, and bring 86,000 new visitors over a 30-year period.

The entire cost of the scheme is reported to be £70 million.

Originally dubious about moving to Torquay from Salcombe, Michelle tells us she is now completely converted. 

She added: “I've fallen in love with it. I think that there's money being spent here, there's business, people spending money here, and I think by 2029, the place will be unrecognisable.”

We learn that the town has invested heavily in advertising, and now there’s a mix of tourists from nearby in the Midlands, Europe, and America, who come to the town known for Agatha Christie.

Talking about her business, she says: “We're up about 40% on last year. So whatever they're spending the money doing, people are coming.

“It’s not only a beautiful coastal town, we’re a UNESCO Geo Park, Agatha Christine lived here, she's one of the most famous writers in the world. 

“They haven't really capitalised on any of that until now, and I think now they're just starting to see that there's quite a lot to shout about.” 

She tells us that the town centre has a different feeling, something we hear throughout the day, but she is hopeful for the future. 

“On the seafront, there's no antisocial behaviour. There's a little bit at the very top of town. They're dealing with it. But I've only got great things to say. I genuinely think it's amazing. Torquay has got it all,” she says.

As we wander along the pier, passing tourists sitting on benches taking in the view on a sunny day, we chat to sisters Liz Prentice, 62, and Diane Woodcock, 61,who are holidaying with their mum.

The sisters had previously been to the seaside town for a weekend away, but they are now all down from Birmingham for a week-long trip. With cheap holidays abroad pulling many Brits away from the UK, we ask what brought them back to Torquay.  

They tell us: “We were saying earlier what a beautiful place it is. I think there is just so much to see and do, and it is just beautiful. Just a beautiful place, really. And people are friendly. You could be abroad somewhere.”

As we walk east along the seafront, we chat with Scottish couple Andrew and Sheila Eesca, who are looking out over the harbour. They also tell us how friendly the people are.

However, even though they remain fond of the waterside, Andrew and Sheila say Torquay is a far cry from what it was when they came here 50 years ago with their young children.

“It’s so different. It’s a bit run-down compared to what it was. It’s still lovely but it’s a bit run down. So many shops have gone,” they tell me.

We head into town to see the contrast for ourselves, taking a steep hill which brings us around the back of town and drops out directly at Factory Row at the top of the main high street, where locals tell antisocial behaviour. is still an issue. 

We spoke to a mother who was eating lunch with her toddler in Union Square Shopping Centre, a site set for partial demolition to become apartments mixed with shops, restaurants, offices, and a GP surgery. 

We ask her what Torquay is like away from the harbour. Sophie Ellis-Marsden tells us she does feel safe in Torquay, but referencing the top end of the high street, she says: “I avoid that end of town. I don’t have much nice to say, to be honest. The waterfront is lovely and that’s the only thing that is.

"It’s nice don’t get me wrong, I moved here from Milton Keynes for the sea, but it needs more work. More shops just seem to be shutting down. Everything’s gone, and I don’t really know why.”

Still at the top end of the high street, we talk to Daniel Pliceanu who has worked as a delivery driver in Torquay, about his views.

He says: “The people are lovely what can I say. It’s safe as long as you don’t take part in any gang, drug dealing and things like that." Daniel adds: "Yes the prices went high, but that’s all over the country. The council is doing some things for the town.”

However, when we ask about the redevelopment at the waterside, he wasn’t as impressed, saying: “It’s just cleaner there because the tourists go that side but that’s it.”

As we learn throughout the day, locals and visitors alike seem split. Some are full of optimism, drawn by the coastline, history, and fresh investment. However, others feel frustrated by slow progress and uneven changes at the waterfront and the town centre. 

What we keep hearing throughout the day is how friendly the town is, how the waterside is the star of the show, and that Torquay is trying to reinvent itself.

This summer, after consulting with residents and businesses, the council will present its planning application for The Strand.

As locals remain split on the state of their town, Torquay may become completely unrecognisable by 2029.