Victoria Street in Paignton will reopen to a single lane of traffic from late Friday afternoon, marking a significant milestone following the emergency road closure that has been in place since the end of May.

The closure was implemented after masonry fell into the road from a privately owned building, creating an immediate risk to public safety.

Since then, we have worked at pace to secure the legal permissions necessary to demolish 62-70 Victoria Street. Demolition work began in mid-July as part of a six-week programme, with our teams working closely alongside contractors, utility providers, transport operators and other external partners to safely accelerate the reopening of the road for the final days of the summer holidays and Bank Holiday weekend.

The project has faced additional challenges following the fire at Paignton railway station, which resulted in two major deconstruction projects taking place within a confined area. Throughout the works, teams have coordinated carefully to maintain pedestrian access and support local businesses while managing complex construction and safety requirements.

The reopening of a single lane will help improve traffic flow through the area and support the return of bus services that have been significantly affected by the closure.

However, some restrictions will remain in place while demolition works continue.

Only one lane can currently be reopened because a significant amount of asbestos remains within the site. This material must be removed through a carefully controlled process, with exclusion and containment zones maintained to protect the public and workers from exposure.

The taxi rank in front of Paignton Railway Station on Network Rail land, will remain closed as the area is required for station rebuilding operations and as a contractor compound. Alternative taxi ranks are available at either end of Torbay Road.

Motorists are also reminded that the station car park remains closed as it continues to operate as a temporary access point to Paignton railway station.

Councillor David Thomas, Leader of Torbay Council, said: "The reopening of Victoria Street is welcome news for residents, businesses, visitors and public transport users ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.

"This has been a highly complex situation involving the emergency closure of a key route, the demolition of a dangerous building, and the additional challenge of the fire-damaged railway station immediately alongside the site.

"I would like to thank our officers, contractors, partners, local businesses and the community for their patience and cooperation throughout these works. By working together, we have been able to safely reopen the road as quickly as possible while ensuring public safety remains our absolute priority.

"There is still work to complete, particularly the careful removal of asbestos from the demolition site but reopening a lane of traffic is an important step forward in restoring normality to the area."

Daniel Parkes, Network Rail route infrastructure engineer, said: "We're pleased to see Victoria Street reopening ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend. Coming just as we prepare to restore full-length access to Platform 2 at Paignton station, it represents another significant step forward in the area's recovery following the challenges of recent months.

"The progress made is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of all partners involved. While some restrictions remain in place and rebuilding at the station continues, these improvements will make a real difference for passengers, residents, businesses and visitors alike."

Once the safe removal of all identified asbestos-containing materials has been completed, work will resume on the final phase of the demolition programme. At this stage, the asbestos removal process is expected to take around six weeks, after which demolition of the remaining sections of the building will continue. It is currently too early to determine whether further road closures will be required, or whether the remaining works can be completed within the reduced safety zone that will be in place following the reopening of Victoria Street.

Looking ahead, we remain hopeful that the owners of 62-70 Victoria Street will bring forward proposals for the site's future through the planning process. Any future development should reflect local planning policies, make a positive contribution to the town centre, and recognise the site's location within a conservation area. We stand ready to work constructively with the owners to support proposals that are appropriate for this prominent gateway site in Paignton.

Recognising the significant disruption that emergency works have caused in Paignton town centre over recent months, we have agreed to delay the planned closure of Hyde Road car park. The car park was due to close in September to enable the start of the redevelopment scheme later in the autumn that will deliver 91 extra care homes and a new day centre. However, to give businesses in the area an opportunity to recover following a challenging summer, the closure has now been postponed until the end of the October half-term period. This revised timetable will help maintain parking provision in the town centre while supporting traders during the important late summer and autumn trading season.