Heritage Strategy adopted by Torbay Council; future planning supported by Culture Recovery Fund
Torbay Council’s Cabinet has formally adopted a new Torbay Heritage Strategy. At the beginning of 2020, Torbay Council in partnership with Torbay Culture and TDA commissioned an independent heritage consultancy, Heritage Arts and People (HAP) to update the local area’s heritage strategy. The new strategy is the result of that review of heritage across the locality.
‘Torbay Council is committed to culture and heritage being part of our future ambitions. These things matter to people in Brixham, Paignton and Torquay, and the adoption of this new strategy and the forthcoming action planning - supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Torbay Culture - will play a valuable role in taking this forwards’
Councillor Swithin Long, Cabinet Member, Economic Regeneration, Tourism & Housing, and Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member, Infrastructure, Environment & Culture
The development of the strategy has been iterative and extensive. Two rounds of consultation were held. The first during February with a public survey to encourage local people to get involved and share what mattered to them. This helped shape the strategy's structure and content. The second consultation over four weeks in August gathered detailed responses to the draft strategy. Over 800 people and numerous organisations and partnerships - including local museums, heritage organisations, National Trust and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark - engaged with the process.
In shaping the strategy, Heritage Arts and People, Torbay Council and Torbay Culture have worked closely with the two national lead bodies for heritage - Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The next phase of work during early 2021 is the action planning which will be supported by the government’s Culture Recovery Fund award to Torbay Culture from the Heritage Fund.
The Torbay Heritage Strategy is in two parts, with the strategy in part one, and part two providing prioritisations themed around ‘Our Stories’ informed by the public consultation. The purpose of the new strategy is to clarify the Council’s approach to heritage, and to enable it to develop plans for specific locations.
The new documents set out statutory requirements (e.g. Listed Buildings, Conservation Area Appraisals, Scheduled Ancient Monuments and non-designated heritage assets). It is closely aligned with existing plans and strategies, including the Local Plan, Destination Management Plan, and the cultural strategy Enjoy, Talk, Do, Be. The Torbay Heritage Strategy includes objectives for managing and protecting heritage assets; it is a tool to involve and inspire key partners and stakeholders, attract visitors, support our economy, and respond to climate change, whilst recognising Torbay’s wide ranging internationally recognised heritage.
The strategy can be downloaded from the Torbay Council website below:
Image: Torbay Council/Torre Abbey
