Torbay Heritage Strategy implementation update
The recently adopted Torbay Heritage Strategy is already resulting in improvements for local heritage. Torbay Council and Torbay Culture at TDA have been working with Katherine Findlay from Heritage Arts and People to progress the strategy, with an action plan, building assessments, and an interpretation framework.
The working relationships with Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund are positive and supportive. Strengthening those relationships, building trust and confidence, is key to not only caring for the heritage in the bay, but enabling more people to access and enjoy their heritage.
As part of the current strategy implementation work, Katherine has developed an interpretation framework which will be made available for heritage organisations to use. We will be publishing a copy here in the coming weeks as soon as it is completed.
Partnership projects are already being explored - encompassing cataloguing, research and audience digital engagement - with organisations including the South West Heritage Trust and higher education sector partners developing proposals. More information about those will be shared as soon as we can.
In Brixham, the town centre conservation area has been removed from the national Heritage at Risk Register. Torbay Council works closely with Historic England to monitor any heritage assets which may be at risk. They hold a register which includes buildings, places of worship, monuments, conservation areas, parks and gardens that are listed and have been found to be at risk. Brixham Town Conservation Area has been on this register since 2009.
Following its recent annual review, Historic England was satisfied that the area could be removed from the register. Critical to this were the adoption of the Neighbourhood Plan containing a town design statement, the evolving Heritage Strategy work, and an overall improvement in condition.
Torbay Council and partners are continuing to work closely with Historic England, funding bodies, and managers of key sites, to ensure the future of the remaining assets at risk is secured.
Development and implementation of the Torbay Heritage Strategy was supported thanks to the government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage grant to Torbay Culture.
Image: People enjoying the historic Paignton Picture House during the Electric Sound Palace (Chris Timpson/Aurelia Soundworks) commissioned by Torbay Culture for Eyeview (photo: Marco Kesseler, 2019)
