Have your say on revised plans that will transform the former Crossways Shopping Centre.

In partnership with our redevelopment partners Wilmott Dixon and Milligan, we are accelerating plans to transform the former Crossways Shopping Centre in Paignton into high-quality, extra care housing for local people.

The proposals for the brownfield site include 100% social housing in the form of 91 extra-care apartments, shared communal areas, a café, and a purpose-built Day Centre to replace the current ageing facility in Hollacombe.

As a result of legislative changes that affect High Rise Buildings within the 2022 Building Safety Act, the previous scheme (consented in February 2021) is no longer economically viable to build. The Council and their partners, Wilmott Dixon and Milligan, have brought specialist architectural firm PRP on board to redesign the site to meet the new regulations, and fundamentally review the scheme to make it smaller and better reflect the character of Paignton town centre. 

Key changes include: a significantly more efficient design and layout; increasing the number of social rented extra care homes from 76 to 91; reducing the size of the building by some 1,500m²; removing sheltered housing apartments; and including a bespoke new Day Centre to replace the aging Hollacombe Community Resource Centre.

The scheme will also have the benefit of a new café space fronting Torquay Road, landscaped gardens, with the Day Centre being provided with calming sensory areas, activity spaces and other specialist facilities. Accessible parking, including EV charging, will also be available.

These changes will deliver an improved scheme which can be viably delivered, helping to ensure the redevelopment’s long-term success.

This consultation is part of a wider set of initiatives aimed at enhancing Torbay. Planned for development and delivery over the coming years are up to 700 new homes, new healthcare facilities including diagnostic centres and GP surgeries, new employment opportunities in construction, healthcare, retail, leisure and hospitality, a new high-end boutique hotel, new independent cafes and restaurants, new public squares and spaces and new parking facilities.

Speaking about the plans, Councillor Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth at Torbay Council said “We’re pleased to unveil the details of revised scheme to provide 91 new affordable extra-care homes alongside a new purpose-built Day Centre for the benefit of local people. This is a positive scheme for Paignton, making the best use of this under-utilised town centre brownfield site.

“The team is united in getting the revised scheme through the planning process as quickly as we can. This is an exciting project for Paignton, and we look forward to hearing from staff and families from the existing day centre, the local community, and nearby businesses, who we expect will benefit from having more people living in the town centre.

“My thanks go to the whole team that have worked so hard to redesign the site and come up with a new financial strategy to ensure the site’s delivery.”

We have already started discussions with Homes England regarding bidding for the necessary grant funding needed to deliver the scheme as 100% social housing for local people. 

Local residents, businesses, and visitors are invited to learn more about the plans and have their say on the proposals via an online questionnaire, or by viewing the proposals and completing a paper copy of the questionnaire which will be available in Paignton Library. The consultation will run until midnight on Monday 23 June, following which the project team intends to submit a planning application.

View and comment on the proposals.