Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan 2025 Online Version and Consultation

Object

Representation ID: 540

Received: 31/01/2026

Respondent: Simpkin Properties Limited

Oppose. Strategic Policy TC1 places Local Centres within the retail hierarchy, while Neighbourhood Centres are of purely neighbourhood significance and sit outside that hierarchy. Babbacombe’s existing role, catchment and scale do not align with a Neighbourhood Centre classification. Policy TC5 recognises that retail and other main town centre uses above 280 sq m are more than local in significance and are subject to sequential and impact considerations. Existing provision in Babbacombe already operates beyond neighbourhood function. Correct designation is critical to vitality and viability. Babbacombe should therefore be designated a Local Centre to reflect reality and support sustainable economic growth.

Support

Representation ID: 1014

Received: 31/01/2026

Respondent: Simpkin Properties Limited

I am writing to formally object to the proposed designation of Babbacombe as a “Neighbourhood Centre” within the Draft Torbay Local Plan (Regulation 18), and to support its designation as a “Local Centre” instead.

I am a commercial property owner and long-term investor in Babbacombe, with retail units occupied by established independent businesses. I therefore have a direct and practical interest in the area’s long-term economic vitality, resilience, and attractiveness as a trading location.

The Draft Local Plan defines Neighbourhood Centres as being of purely neighbourhood significance and places them outside the retail hierarchy for major retail or other main town centre uses. In my view, this classification does not accurately reflect the existing role, function, or scale of Babbacombe.

Babbacombe already operates as a destination retail and leisure centre, attracting customers well beyond its immediate residential catchment. It comprises a diverse mix of independent retailers, professional services, cafés and restaurants, and includes large-format retail provision operating at a scale fundamentally inconsistent with a Neighbourhood Centre designation. The Draft Plan itself recognises that retail proposals exceeding 280 sq m are more than local in significance, and existing provision within Babbacombe substantially exceeds this threshold.

Designating Babbacombe as a Neighbourhood Centre risks:
• Undermining confidence for future retail and mixed-use investment
• Constraining the ability of existing businesses to adapt, reinvest or expand
• Sending an unintended signal that Babbacombe is of secondary importance within the retail hierarchy
• Weakening long-term commercial sustainability to the detriment of traders, landlords and the wider local economy

Conversely, recognition of Babbacombe as a Local Centre would more accurately reflect its established role, support continued private investment, and align with the Local Plan’s objectives around economic vitality, sustainable development and thriving centres.

For these reasons, I oppose the proposed Neighbourhood Centre designation and strongly encourage the Council to reclassify Babbacombe as a Local Centre within the final Local Plan.