Former mayor of Torbay Gordon Oliver recently said previous housing approvals for a wasteland nicknamed 'Chernobyl-on-Sea' should be ditched in favour of turning the land into a public park, complete with restaurant, toilets and car park. The former gas works site at Hollicombe in Paignton is allocated for housing in the Torbay Local Plan.
Planning permission for 185 apartments was previously granted. Torbay Council is now working with the landowners to unlock the development of the site.
Now, one letter writer into our sister print title the Herald Express has backed those plans for housing over a public park. He says that when it comes to accessible open space, locals are spoilt for choice, but we certainly need social housing.
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And he adds that instead, the former Mayor should turn his attention to pressing the case he made a while ago to flatten the Living Coasts site and turn that into an open space for small-scale events.
Read the full letter below
- Reading Gordon Oliver’s suggestion to turn the wasteland at Hollicombe into a park, (Make Chernobyl-on-Sea a public park, says ex-mayor, Herald Express, February 14) we could do with some detail to persuade us his proposal has been thought through.
This should include proof a park is what people need or want and is not an unrealistic park-in-the-sky idea.
The first question is: what sort of a park is Gordon Oliver proposing?
A wildlife park? A playing field? A water park: or just a plain old stroll-through-and-sit-on-the-grass sort of park?
Whatever he has in mind, how much will the Gordon Oliver Memorial Park cost?
Presumably the council can’t afford to make a contribution, considering their financial statements, and (subject to the sort of park planned) there might not be much money in it for investors: so who pays and how much, Gordon?
The other big question is: are we short of parks/open spaces in that part of Torbay? Given there is already a park across the street – with sea views, a private beach and a full-sized train set for the kiddies to wave at, even – Gordon’s suggestion seems a bit extravagant.
Not far away there is Cockington in one direction and in the other the green spaces at Oldway and Victoria Park.
For big events – and picnics – we have Torre Abbey and Paignton Greens. That is not to mention the local beaches that are available for a wide range of activities.
Then there is the South West Coastal Path that runs round the bay.
I am tempted to say that when it comes to accessible open space, locals are spoilt for choice: and with all that open space, where is the demand for this wasteland to be used as a park?
Having passed the existing Hollicombe Park on many occasions, it’s never exactly overflowing with visitors – not many people voting with their feet on that one, Gordon – but, as he is so keen on giving local people a park, it does raise the question as to where the park at White Rock is. What about the park at The Willows? What open space have they got? A play park and couple of basketball courts? Seems like a poor substitute.
Given the coastal area has an abundance of open space, what about thinking about those who live further inland?
The other suggestion is to use the Hollicombe site for housing. Do we need housing? I get the impression we do. We certainly need social housing.
On balance, my feeling is that provided affordable housing and not holiday lets are provided, housing at Hollicombe gets my vote.
In the meantime, perhaps Gordon could again turn his attention to pressing the case he made a while ago to flatten the Living Coasts site and turn that into an open space for small-scale events.
That would also get my vote.
Alan Payling
Torquay
