Fears for future of prized beach in famous Devon town

Outrage at plans to build a five-storey hotel and leisure complex overlooking Brixham ’s most popular beach will reach parliament with a petition calling for the pebbled shoreline to be declared a town or village green. Local MP Anthony Mangnall is supporting the idea which would give Breakwater Beach a layer of legal protection from development.

The prospect of a new hotel on the council-owned car park has angered many people in the town who fear it will block out the sun and plunge their prized community beach into darkness. There is also concern the plans amount to a “part-privatisation” of a cherished shore that generations have enjoyed unrestricted access to.

It is unclear what effect a village green designation would have on the hotel plans. Developers have welcomed the idea. They have pledged to "go back to the drawing board" and completely redesign their original hotel plans labelled "Balamory on steroids" by critics.

Brixham is synonymous with the sea - one of the three major towns of Torbay ’s English Riviera, a powerhouse in the UK’s fishing industry, home to the RNLI lifeboat, historically linked to the nation’s military defence and thriving tourism town from spring to autumn.

DevonLive has visited the famous maritime town to ask locals for their views on the proposals and other issues affecting their lives. During a walkabout it is clear the issue of Breakwater Beach is the main topic of conversation.

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They like to celebrate pirates in Brixham. Come the first Bank Holiday in May the town will be awash with rum coves, buccaneers and brigands all celebrating the town's links to its maritime history. The event has become an eagerly awaited pistol shot signalling the start of the tourism season.

On a quiet Wednesday morning in January the holiday season seems a long time off. But there is no shortage of optimism about the town’s future, fuelled by plans for a multi-million pound expansion of the fish quay, a busy shopping area, and a number of thriving small businesses.

“I would say the main issues people are talking about at the moment are the lack of public toilets, loss of parking, lots of empty shops and, of course, Breakwater Beach,” says a local shopkeeper. “If you look at the window in Costa you’ll see a petition. People are quite angry about it.

“We’ve got the pubs here but we’ve not got a bank. The last one, Lloyd’s, closed last year. There is a place called the Hub where you can do some banking services but it isn’t really the same.

“I’ve lived here for 40 years. It’s a lovely, beautiful place to live with a great community. The sea is so important for people here. The people are connected to it through the fishing and tourism industries. We haven’t got a lot of beaches. We lose that, we lose the community.”

Fore Street - the main pedestrianised shopping area - has seen an increase in the number of empty shops over the last 12 months. High streets up and down the country are coming to terms with changes in the way we shop and work. But the retail exodus is not on the scale of neighbouring Torquay and Paignton where regeneration plans can’t come soon enough.

There is also a conspicuous absence of homeless people sleeping in doorways in comparison to those tourist hotspots.

One of the most popular pubs is The Blue Anchor. It's a bright, January morning and behind the bar is Rachel Milner, enjoying a joke with some local fishermen who have started early.

“In the summer it is a completely different town,” she says. “There is the Pirate Festival on the first Bank Holiday in May. Everyone is dressed up, it’s amazing.”

With its historic fishermen’s cottages and picturesque harbour Brixham is the sort of place you'd expect to have been gentrified by now. But it hasn’t yet gone down the exclusive sea view route of places like Dartmouth and Salcombe further along the Devon coast.

Rachel says: “There are a lot of holiday homes and Airbnbs. It helps to have family here. There are not many affordable places for younger local people and if you move away you will struggle to come back.”

“A lot of people are talking about the Breakwater,” she adds. “That’s the main issue in town. It is a fishing town really and a lot of the economy is connected to fishing and tourism.”

Around the corner is one of the new bars - The Mermaid. The business used to be Harbourside Amusements then a cocktail bar before re-opening with a new modern look last year.

“It is quiet today but in March it will start picking up, says barman Daniel Dobroczynsk. "It’s a very modern place and at the weekends it will be mainly younger people. But we cater for everybody. During the day it’s a really nice place for a coffee and we want to attract all ages.”

The saltwater smell in the air becomes stronger as you enter Brixham’s main tourist spot - the harbour. This is the spiritual, economic and historic heart of the town, complete with a replica of Drake’s Golden Hind. The place where fish have been landed since times long forgotten.

The turbot, hake, sole, plaice and other trawled specimens landed here have travelled to dinner plates in Exeter, Bath, London and beyond for generations. Brixham fishmarket saw a record £61 million worth of fish sold in 2022.

Further along the quay the footpath, part of the South West Coast Path, winds towards the marina and breakwater - the long concrete arm protecting the outer harbour. From here it is a short walk to Breakwater Beach.

A member of the public is sitting on a bench looking out to sea. “To be honest in the winter there is nothing to entice you here except that,” he says pointing at the spectacular sea views across Tor Bay. “I don’t get into town much. A lot of the pubs are a bit iffy with all the fishermen. At this time of year a lot of the shops are shut.

“Personally from my point of view I’m all for the Breakwater plans. It would be something to lift the area. There is nothing to do in the winter and it is very quiet.

“My opinion is very much in the minority, then again, I'm from London. But it’s the 21st century and Brixham is still in the 19th. I understand why people don’t like change and it is beautiful here but there has to be investment to bring it into the modern world. You have to go with the times.”

This area of Brixham is dotted with information boards explaining the town’s illustrious links to the sea. Napoleon never set foot in the country but he was aboard a ship that anchored a few miles off shore before being exiled. During the Second World War American troops disembarked for Normany from here.

Before you reach Breakwater is the RNLI lifeboat station which serves Torbay. Later this year the organisation will celebrate it's 200th anniversary and services will be held in the town.

Shoals Restaurant is owned by husband and wife team Sarah and Sean Perkes. She used to be a police officer in Torquay and when the lease came up in 2015 decided it was time for a change.- Since the its reputation for great food and service has grown beyond expectations.

“It was just changing rooms really when we started,” says Sarah. “It was originally just going to be a cafe but now it’s a fish restaurant.

“My husband is a fish merchant so we get all the best produce and it has just been really successful. Winter is quiet but in the summer on the roof we have a barbecue and we are very busy. My daughter helps out too.

“Having lived elsewhere, Brixham is just a really charming place. Very different to anywhere else. The community spirit is amazing. Generally it’s buzzing at the moment. There are so many new shops and restaurants opening.

“And I get to work here. Even when it’s really stormy it is lovely to watch the sea.”

Breakwater Beach isn’t large but it is cherished by the people of Brixham. In September of last year plans were announced for a multi-coloured 44-bed hotel, spa and beachside bistro. The idea is to demolish the existing bistro and use a beachview car park to build a five-storey development.

Thousands joined an online group in opposition with some describing it in reference to the children’s TV show as “Balamory on steroids”. Investors said it would bring much-needed investment and jobs.

Jimmy Cavanagh and Angela Blair moved to Brixham in September of last year. Many years ago Jimmy worked at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay and retained fond memories of the area while living in London. The couple do a lot of swimming in the sea, often wading into the water at this spot.

“Every single local I’ve met has been against it,” says Jimmy. They are trying to buy people off by saying there will be free toilets. The council is trying to make money by selling the car park.

“It would take over a year to build and local residents won’t be allowed down here while it is being built. There were queues of people against it when they had a consultation here.”

MP Anthony Mangnall has joined the voices in opposition to the plans. He said: “While MPs have little say in the planning process, I believe the proposals that have been brought forward for Brixham’s Breakwater Beach are completely out of touch with the area.

“I believe the beach should be protected, which is why I am submitting a public petition to the House of Commons, asking the Government to work with Torbay Council to declare Breakwater Beach a Town and Village Green. This would protect the beach for local people to use and enjoy.

“I am pleased so many local residents have supported this petition, and look forward to presenting it to the House of Commons in the coming weeks.”

Other opponents include former long-serving councillor Mike Morey. He said: “I’ve been totally opposed to the proposed Breakwater development as it would be a gross overdevelopment of the site. It would also mean the loss of a much-valued public car park and, due to its proposed height, would cast a shadow over Breakwater Beach during certain hours.”

Responding to the criticism, property developer Jack Turton, who is involved in the plan said the proposal to develop Breakwater Bistro represents a £25million vote of confidence in the town, will generate jobs and bring significant tourism and spending power.

He added: "As part of our plans to redevelop the site we held a consultation over the summer to present our plans. We commissioned a bespoke design with a brief that the proposal should reflect the architecture and character of the Brixham Harbour area."

Although there was some positive feedback, he accepts the majority view was negative. "We have now gone back to the drawing board," he said. "We are looking for a complete redesign. This will include a reduction in the building's footprint, lowering the height and changing the building's aesthetic."

He said the parts of the scheme that were popular among the public, including public toilets, changing rooms, gym and improvements to the footpath and access to the harbour would remain

"The proposals will not include any development on the beach. We want to maintain the beach. Currently the Breakwater Bistro team work very hard to maintain the beach and the surrounding area to a very high standard. Without this work it is highly unlikely the beach would be awarded its Blue Flag.

"I fully support the designation of the beach as a village green." He says there will be another public consultation later in the year.

Brixham, Paignton and Torquay are all tourist towns. But Brixham's distinct character rests on its maritime heritage and flourishing fishing industry and is what makes the town unique among the three. The people here know what is worth celebrating and protecting.

A spokesperson for Torbay Council, said: “Early discussions have taken place between the council and the tenants of the Breakwater Bistro. The purpose of these discussions was to understand the tenant’s emerging development proposals. These discussions do not form any part of the pre-planning application process.

“The council do understand the parking concerns the community has for Brixham. At this current time, the tenant has not made a formal application to extend the site, therefore the council has not made any decision on the nearby carpark.”