04/06/2024
๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ
A Liberal Democrat councillor who trades in Torquay town centre is set to demand an explanation as to why the local authority has sat on ยฃ100,000 this summer that could have been used to support businesses in our town centres across the Bay.
Councillor Ras Virdee, who runs a retail business in Torquay town centre said, โWe have seen uncertainty with more stores closing and others questioning their long term future in the town centre. The deployment of a town centre manager with a budget to start to tackle some of the ingrained issues in the town centre would have been a vote of confidence that our high street needs.โ
Steve Darling, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Torbay Council, said โmany local residents that I speak to, their top priority is seeing a step change of improvement in the town centre. It is a pity that the Conservatives have dithered and delayed over improving our town centres.โ
The question from Councillor Virdee that is set to be put on 20th September full council meeting is as follows:
In a recent Guardian article dated 25 August 2023, I was not surprised, as a Torquay town trader myself, to see concerns being raised by businesses in Torquay town centre. One business owner described this summer as the โworst in 14 yearsโ, with the town looking โdesertedโ. Another estimated that โwithout support from the government, within the next 12 months, at least another third of the remaining businesses will closeโ. In light of this, over six months ago, Torbay Council agreed in the 2023-24 budget for ยฃ100,000 to be allocated to introduce a new role within the Council to act as a force for positive change in our town centres. Can you please explain why no appointment has been made?
