That the following projects receive funding from the Torquay Pride in Place funding allocation:

St Mary Magdalene Church

£3,600 capital and £34,000 revenue to stop the Living Room from closing and continue operations twice weekly for the coming year.  This funding was conditional and if they secured alternative funding to support homeless people, this funding would be returned.  Torbay Communities and Torbay Council, where possible, to support to help identify a longer-term funding provision.

Royal Lyceum Theatre Revitalisation

£141,587 capital funding for roof repairs, preliminary repairs to front facade and completion of kitchen.

Ellacombe Community Multi-Use Facility

£60,000 capital to enable safe and controlled reopening of part of the building for restricted use.

Barton Recreation Ground Community Hub

£35,000 revenue for architectural design, surveys, and cost validation for plans to transform Barton Recreation Ground into a modern Community, Health, Wellbeing and Sports Hub, acting as the physical anchor for the Torbay cradle-to-career strategy across Torquay.

Higher Union Street Regeneration

£10,740 capital and £8,500 revenue to improve shop fronts and window displays in Torre, plus a new 6-month hub.

Windmill Centre and Windmill Hill

£21,000 revenue for a feasibility study into renovations and costed options for a new community hub.  The hub would improve accessibility, enhance sustainability, increase engagement with the community and community capacity.

Pride in Place funding is a ten-year funding stream from the MHCLG, and is passed to Torbay Council as the Accountable Body.  The Torquay Place Leadership Board is responsible for determining how the funds are allocated.  The Place Leadership Board is comprised of a number of business community leaders, including representatives from Torbay Council, and is chaired independently.  The Board’s Terms of Reference have been properly adopted, and is subject to strict Governance procedures, reporting progress to both Torbay Council and the MHCLG. 

There were no alternative options as the Chief Finance Officer was satisfied that the Board had met their requirements for allocating the grant funding from MHCLG. 

The decision will come into force with effect immediately.

Torquay Place Leadership Board are responsible for determining how the Torquay Pride in Place Funding should be allocated among community organisations who submit a bid for project funds, in line with the agreed governance process set out in Terms of Reference and Operation document.  The Board have undertaken a thorough review of bids submitted and are required to allocate funding to projects who best meet the previously agreed priorities of the Board and all stipulations and requirements set down by the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government (MHCLG).  Once the funding is approved by the Board, the Council’s Chief Finance Officer will ratify the Board’s decision and approve the draw down of the Grant Funding from the MHCLG allocation and will publish a Record of Decision.  This round of funding allocations was determined at a meeting of the Board on 20 April 2026.

None.