Council halts work on controversial Torquay development

Work on a controversial development in Torquay has been halted amid claims the developers went too far.

A bulldozer started demolition at Singleton Gardens just before the Easter weekend, sparking an outcry on social media from local conservation campaigners.

Tempers flared and police were called after reports of an assault near the site.

Now Torbay Council has told developers to stop work, saying they may consider enforcement action.

The green light was given unanimously last March for extensions and alterations to an existing building, with extensions being demolished along with a greenhouse and outbuilding.

But when work began, there were concerns that developers had overstepped the mark.

Now Torbay Council has stepped in and called a halt to the work, which has already seen large sections of a building fronting onto Meadfoot Sea Road demolished.

A council spokesman said officers from the planning enforcement and building controls teams had taken ‘prompt action’ following reports about unauthorised work.

The spokesman went on: “From concerns raised about demolition works being carried out over and above the approved planning permission, officers have visited the site a number of times this week and met with the developer and their structural engineers.

“We have secured an agreement that there will be no further work apart from minor repairs to protect the neighbouring building while we further investigate what has taken place.”

The council says members of its planning, building control, environmental health and legal departments are working on the next steps under planning and environmental law, including the possibility of enforcement action to control activity at the site.

Development in Singleton Gardens has been controversial in recent years.

Two previous plans for apartments have been rejected by Torbay Council, with the most recent of them still the subject of an appeal. OJ Developments say work is needed because the structures they want to knock down create a ‘ramshackle appearance’.

English Heritage described Singleton Gardens as ‘an unusual survivor’, and Eden Project founder Sir Tim Smit said one of the development proposals  had left him ‘dumbfounded’.

The site is thought to be the largest surviving walled garden of its kind.

Developers say they recognise that there is a lot of local concern, chiefly from the previous applications, but the current project is different.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Martin Brook (Con, Collaton St Mary) said: “As a planning authority, we take allegations of breaches of planning permission extremely seriously.

“Our planning enforcement team has been strengthened in recent months to increase our focus in this area.

“I hope our action in this case will provide reassurance to residents and send a message to developers that we will act firmly and robustly when necessary.”

OJ Developments have been invited to comment.

Meanwhile, feelings have been running high over the work on Singleton Gardens.

A police spokesperson confirmed: “We were called to Meadfoot Sea Road, Torquay, on Tuesday 22 April following reports of a man being assaulted. Inquiries are ongoing.”