About this consultation
A public consultation to gather ideas and gauge community views on the future of the Pavilion was held from Tuesday 6 January to Sunday 25 January 2026.
This consultation formed one of several workstreams within the ongoing Options Appraisal, which is being delivered by a small team of local consultants with funding support from Torbay Council, Arts Council England, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The purpose of the Options Appraisal is to identify viable and sustainable uses for the Grade II listed Pavilion, ensuring it can operate as a financially resilient, year round visitor attraction while safeguarding its historic and cultural significance.
In addition to the public consultation, the appointed consultants are conducting a detailed market analysis to determine the most suitable and sustainable future use for the Pavilion. This work aims to ensure that any restoration proposals meet the needs of local residents and visitors while supporting long term financial viability.
The team is also carrying out comparator research on similar heritage buildings in coastal towns to understand successful approaches elsewhere and to identify common challenges. Insights from both the consultation and the research will inform the development of a shortlist of viable options.
Following this, the consultants will provide recommendations for a preferred option, which will be used to support the development of a business case. The findings and recommendations are expected to be presented to the council at the end of April.
Ways to get involved
The consultation provided two ways for participants to submit their ideas and opinions.
1. Through an online survey hosted on the Council’s website.
2. By completing a paper survey available at Torquay Library.
Engaging with young people
The team sought to engage with young people in Torbay to gather their views on the proposals. During the consultation period, visits were made to two primary schools, where discussions were held with 35 pupils aged 9 to 11.
Consultation responses
A total of 1,736 people took part in the consultation. This represents the second highest response level recorded by the Engagement and Communications team, highlighting the community’s strong interest in local heritage assets and a clear desire to see historic buildings brought back into active use.
- Of those who responded, 77% lived in Torbay, 21% were from elsewhere in the UK, and 3% were from outside the UK. This demonstrates that the Pavilion’s significance extends well beyond Torbay.
- 94% of respondents were aged over 25, with only 6% aged under 25.
- 69% of respondents reported that they currently take part in arts or cultural activities. The most common locations for doing so were Torbay, Exeter, and London.
- The most common cultural activities respondents participated in were attending theatre performances, visiting museums or art galleries, going to the cinema, and visiting historic houses or gardens.
- 76% of respondents said they would take part in arts or cultural activities at the Pavilion if they were available.
- The consultation questionnaire asked respondents how important the Pavilion was to them. 18% recalled visiting the Pavilion when it was previously open. 24% expressed an interest in the building and felt it should be preserved. 22% stated that the Pavilion is an important element of Torbay’s regeneration and should play a key role in that process.
- 55% of respondents were aged over 55, 41% were between 0 and 54, and 3% chose not to answer this optional question. This higher response rate from older residents is reflective of Torbay’s population demographics and their greater likelihood of having personal memories of, or stronger connections to, the Pavilion.
Methodology
Microsoft Copilot was used to assist in the analysis and summarisation of the feedback. Copilot, an AI-powered tool, reviewed the free text comments from the provided dataset, identifying key themes. The following questions were reviewed using Copilot.
What arts and cultural offer would you like to see in the Pavilion?
1,538 responses analysed.
Six strong, recurring themes emerged, led by an Agatha Christie–anchored offer, a broad appetite for theatre/plays, art exhibitions, hands on workshops, live music, and talks/lectures. There is also notable demand for heritage/local history interpretation, food & beverage, family/young people activities, and all weather/wellbeing uses (including some support for ice/roller skating). At the same time, respondents highlight design tensions to resolve—especially not competing with the Princess Theatre, avoiding over reliance on a single theme (e.g., Christie), and ensuring year round, financially sustainable use.
Top themes by share of responses
- Agatha Christie focus (museum/centre/events/tea) — 445 mentions (28.9%)
- Theatre / plays / drama — 410 mentions (26.7%)
- Art gallery / exhibitions (visual arts) — 392 mentions (25.5%)
- Workshops / classes / making (arts & crafts) — 340 mentions (22.1%)
- Live music / concerts (non classical generic) — 271 mentions (17.6%)
- Talks / lectures / author events — 250 mentions (16.3%)
- Local history / heritage / museum — 249 mentions (16.2%)
- Food & beverage (café/restaurant/bar) — 197 mentions (12.8%)
- Wellbeing / health / yoga / spa — 144 mentions (9.4%)
- Cinema / film screenings — 123 mentions (8.0%)
- Family & children’s activities (incl. soft play) — 123 mentions (8.0%)
- Dance (ballroom/swing/social) — 109 mentions (7.1%)
What difference do you think a regenerated Pavilion could make to Torbay?
1,718 responses analysed.
The top message is that a regenerated Pavilion would drive economic uplift (tourism, footfall, spend, jobs) and become a cultural/heritage anchor, improving the look and feel of the harbour/seafront and acting as a community hub—especially for families and young people. There’s strong interest in events/programming and significant support to leverage Agatha Christie—though not exclusively. A smaller but notable thread proposes specific uses (ice rink, spa, casino, curated market/food hall). A minority raise viability/funding risks or are sceptical.
Top themes (by share of all comments)
- Economic impact (tourism, revenue, jobs, footfall) — 47.6% of comments.
- Cultural & arts hub / heritage — 30.2%.
- Place making & visual improvement (harbour/seafront) — 19.0%.
- Community hub, inclusion, wellbeing & youth — 12.2%.
- Regeneration catalyst (links to town centre/high street) — 11.3%.
- Events & performance venue — 9.5%
Additional recurring ideas
- Agatha Christie opportunity (8.7%): Many want an Agatha Christie centre or to anchor the International Festival here seen to draw global visitors year round; a smaller group caution against making Christie the sole identity.
- Specific proposals (6.6%): Ice rink/roller, thermal spa/hydrotherapy, casino, curated market/food hall, pannier market, or quality restaurant/afternoon tea making use of harbour views.
- International & cruise appeal (5.4%): Cruise passengers and overseas tourists cited as a higher spend audience; some call for a global class offer.
- All weather/indoor options (1.9%): Many stress the need for wet weather activities and winter programming.
- Safety & ASB (0.3%): A few links better lighting/activation to reducing anti social behaviour.
What would you like to see or experience in a regenerated Pavilion?
1,735 responses analysed.
The most-mentioned ideas were:
- Food & drink (café/restaurant/bar, tea rooms, rooftop/terrace) – 576 mentions (33.2%). Strong desire to reopen upstairs hospitality with views; many specifically ask for 1920s/Palm Court/afternoon tea vibes.
- Museum/exhibitions/art/history/heritage – 486 (28.0%). People want a place to visit even when no show is on, with rotating exhibits and local history.
- Agatha Christie focus – 411 (23.7%). A permanent/interactive Christie centre, programming, archive, and linked experiences (talks, plays, escape rooms).
- Community hub (accessible & affordable) – 399 (23.0%). Clear appetite for an inclusive, low cost space used by local groups year round.
- Live music & spoken word (concerts, comedy, talks) – 352 (20.3%). Desire for varied programming across genres and ages.
- Theatre/cinema – 284 (16.4%). People want intimate performances and special screenings without duplicating the Princess Theatre offer.
- Weddings/private hire/events/conferences – 247 (14.2%). Seen as vital for revenue and to make use of the setting.
- Independent shops/stalls/makers & markets – 228 (13.1%). Preference for quality local traders/pop ups over “cheap tat”; many mention market-hall formats.
- Spa/health/wellbeing – 227 (13.1%). A minority but consistent idea (Thermae/Bath style).
- Heritage/restoration/art deco elegance – 175 (10.1%). Strong “restore the glory” sentiment with sympathetic interiors.
- Ice rink/skating/curling – 150 (8.6%). Nostalgic pull; popular as seasonal or flexible activation.
- Children/families/soft play/youth – 139 (8.0%). Space for all ages; affordable rainy day activities.
What would you definitely not want to see at the Pavilion? 1,725 responses analysed.
What people don’t want (ranked)
- Shops/retail/market stalls (esp. “tat”, beach tat, generic retail, or a shopping mall)
- Mentions: 508
- Share of responses: 29.45%
- Arcades/gambling/casino/slot machines and Nightclub/loud bars/late drinking focus
- Mentions: 205
- Share of responses: 11.88%
- Hotel/flats/housing/offices/private use (restricted access)
- Mentions: 179
- Share of responses: 10.38%
- Café/restaurant/fast food chains (as the main/only offer)
- Mentions: 162
- Share of responses: 9.39%
- Big chains/corporate brands (for example, Wetherspoons/Costa)
- Mentions: 114
- Share of responses: 6.61%
- Static museums/art galleries (low repeat value)
- Mentions: 90
- Share of responses: 5.22%
- Ice rink/skating/roller (seen as novelty/unsustainable)
- Mentions: 87
- Share of responses: 5.04%
- Modern/unsympathetic renovation (not in keeping)
- Mentions: 62
- Share of responses: 3.59%
- Over emphasis on Agatha Christie (or a full museum) and Closed/exclusive/expensive/inaccessible
- Mentions: 53
- Share of responses: 3.07%
- Soft play/children only/youth club
- Mentions: 43
- Share of responses: 2.49%
- Neglect/demolition/left empty
- Mentions: 40
- Share of responses: 2.32%
- Duplication of nearby venues (for example, “another theatre/cinema”)
- Mentions: 24
- Share of responses: 1.39%
- Politics/religion/campaigning
- Mentions: 21
- Share of responses: 1.22%
Raising awareness of the consultation
The consultation was widely promoted across a range of Torbay Council channels to encourage participation.
Press release
A press release was issued on 6 January and published on Torbay Council’s website. It generated coverage in both local and national media, including Torbay Weekly and Time Out.
Newsletters
The consultation was promoted through several council led newsletters including, One Torbay, the Torquay Projects newsletter, Staff News (internal awareness) and the Members’ briefing (internal awareness).
One Torbay newsletter 9 January
- 12,059 subscribers
- 51% open rate
- 161 clicks to consultation page
One Torbay newsletter 16 January
- 12,078 subscribers
- 50% open rate
- 161 clicks to consultation page
One Torbay newsletter 23 January
- 2,100 subscribers
- 49% open rate
- 173 clicks to consultation page
Torquay Projects newsletter 9 January
- 4,245 subscribers
- 56% open rate
- 124 clicks to consultation page
Social media engagement
The consultation was promoted across the council’s corporate social media channels – Facebook, LinkedIn and Nextdoor. The top performing posts for each channel, by reach can be seen in the following images.
Facebook
Statistics of Facebook post from 6 January 2026:
- Likes: 196
- Comments: 90
- Reach: 32.7K
- Engagement rate: 2.34%
- Shares: 36
- Clicks: 820
- Impressions: 51.1K
- Reactions: 253
Statistics of Facebook post from 12 January 2026:
- Likes: 25
- Comments: 10
- Reach: 7.1K
- Engagement rate: 0.93%
- Shares: 3
- Clicks: 58
- Impressions: 10.5K
- Reactions: 26
LinkedIn
Torbay Council LinkedIn post from 6 January 2026
- Likes: 63
- Comments: 2
- Reach: 2.1K
- Engagement rate: 5.29%
- Shares: 9
- Clicks: 84
- Impressions: 3.1K
- Reactions: 70
Torbay Council LinkedIn Post from 23 January 2026
- Likes: 3
- Comments: 2
- Reach: 360
- Engagement rate: 1.88%
- Shares: 0
- Clicks: 0
- Impressions: 478
- Reactions: 7
Torbay Story LinkedIn Post from 6 January 2026
- Likes: 11
- Comments: 0
- Reach: 275
- Engagement rate: 3.62%
- Shares: 1
- Clicks: 3
- Impressions: 442
- Reactions: 12
Nextdoor
Nextdoor post from 6 January 2026
- Likes: 12
- Comments: 43
- Reach: 0
- Engagement rate: 3.18%
- Shares: 0
- Clicks: 13
- Impressions: 2.1K
- Reactions: 12
Nextdoor post from 12 Janaury 2026
- Likes: 1
- Comments: 10
- Reach: 0
- Engagement rate: 1.18%
- Shares: 0
- Clicks: 12
- Impressions: 1.3K
- Reactions: 1
Nextdoor post from 9 January 2026
- Likes: 2
- Comments: 3
- Reach: 0
- Engagement rate: 1.07%
- Shares: 0
- Clicks: 6
- Impressions: 1K
- Reactions: 2
Social media sentiment
Facebook was the most active platform for engagement, generating 90 comments on the first post published on 6 January. The discussion was characterised by strong nostalgia and a deep emotional attachment to the Pavilion, with many contributors expressing a desire to see the building restored to its former appearance and function.
It was also noted that some respondents expressed frustration and criticism towards the Council, particularly regarding the perceived lack of action to address the Pavilion’s deterioration over the past decade.
Conclusion
Overall, the responses express a strong desire to see the Pavilion revived, used and loved again, with many people hoping it can once more become a source of pride for Torquay rather than a symbol of decline. There is clear appetite for a high quality, culturally rich, multi use space that offers culture, food, events, exhibitions, education and opportunities to socialise—something genuinely for everyone rather than targeted at a single age group or audience.
Alongside this sits a deep protectiveness over the building’s heritage, with widespread concerns about unsympathetic modernisation, cheap interiors or anything that compromises its Art Deco character. The most consistent opposition is towards low quality retail, “tat”, market stalls, or chain brands, which people feel would devalue the building and repeat past failures; instead, respondents want the Pavilion to feel unique, local and special. Views on Agatha Christie are mixed but passionate, with some seeing her as an important cultural asset and others cautioning against over reliance on her story; the prevailing view is that Christie should be incorporated thoughtfully but not dominate the building’s purpose.
There is also strong resistance to nightlife focused uses such as nightclubs, loud bars or late night drinking, with many emphasising the need for a safe, elegant and civilised atmosphere. People repeatedly stress the importance of affordability, accessibility and community benefit, calling for inclusive spaces, low cost or free areas, and avoiding anything that feels exclusive or aimed only at tourists or the wealthy.
Underpinning all of this is anxiety about long term viability and avoiding repeat mistakes—respondents fear another failed retail centre, a static museum with no repeat appeal, seasonal gimmicks or attractions that are not financially sustainable year round. Ice rinks and similar novelty ideas are viewed with particular scepticism.
Above all, the strongest shared sentiment is frustration with inaction: respondents are keen to see meaningful progress, fearing continued decay, political delays and yet more years of the Pavilion sitting unused behind scaffolding.