Popular UK seaside resort once dubbed ‘a hellhole' to undergo £70million upgrade with new restaurants and 154-room hotel
BRITAIN'S "very bad" seaside spot is getting a whopping £70million revamp to become a posh new destination.
The iconic harborside is set to become home to a swanky hotel to counter locals who have been left bitterly disappointed with their beloved landscape.
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Torquay harbourside will be getting a £70million revamp
Credit: Torbay Council
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The popular seaside spot is now set to go be the site of a sparkling new hotel
Credit: Torbay Council
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Locals are fuming at the fly-tipping and drug paraphernalia on the floor
Credit: Devon Live/BPM
Residents Torquay harbourside, Devon, were gutted that their beautiful town was being trashed, with litter and drugs paraphernalia left around.
Fuming homeowners, dog walkers and families are scared to walk down some streets, meanwhile, visitors are leaving the once bustling hotspot disappointed.
One scathing local said the situation was "very bad" and claimed the council aren't stepping up to resolve it, as reported by DevonLive.
"We have contacted the council, the police and Swisco (street cleaning and maintenance company), but haven't heard back from any of them," they said.
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Pointing at a pile of litter, they added: "It annoys me when you read all these pieces about Torquay being such a lovely place, yet, just two minutes from where the tourists walk up and down, you have this horrendous thing.'
Horrified residents have also said they have seen
- exacerbated by a lack of police presence.
However, Torbay Council has announced that the area is set to be the site of a huge £70million regeneration scheme, aimed to tackle the "horrendous" harbourside.
It has shared a plan that councillors believe will "revolutionise" the popular town.
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The Strand area, a former Debenhams store, will be the site of a " high-quality landmark" hotel with a staircase connecting the harbourside with The Terrace.
With views of the harbour, the soon-to-be hotel will boast 154 rooms and a luxurious space on the ground floor.
Fly-through video shows what major Scots city will look like after huge £20m revamp
It's predicted that the development will provide about 80 full-time jobs, £32m in paychecks, and entice 86,000 new visitors to Torquay in the first 30 years.
The Strand was bought up in 2020 with planning granted in 2023 when Wilmott Dixon and Milligan appointed as Torbay's regeneration partners
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Stuart Harris, CEO for Milligan, said: "This is more than just a regeneration project - it's about delivering something truly special for the town, blending high-quality design with exceptional experiences.
"One of the key design features is a striking new staircase, which will enhance the public realm and provide a seamless connection between the harbourside and The Terrace improving connectivity to the Hilton, Premier Inn, and car park."
The designs are still in the works with Torbay council claiming they want to include "historical elements" in the final design.
Residents are able to give their say in summer when the final plans are released with results in early 2026.
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Torbay council assured locals that no buildings will be demolished until they get the go-ahead from residents.
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Residents have been complaining about litter on Belgrave Road, Torquay
Credit: Devon Live/BPM
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Locals say they don't feel safe walking around when there are hypodermic needles on the ground
Credit: Devon Live/BPM
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The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Firebombings, cocaine scams & a crazed football ultra – astonishing inside story of Brit crime war rocking Costa del Sol
WITH its two-for-one cocktail deals, karaoke nights and football screens plastered over every wall, Monaghans wouldn't stand out from any other Irish bar found up and down the Costa del Sol. That was until a chilling bloodbath played out on Saturday evening, as two of Britain's most notorious gangsters were brutally executed in full public view by a masked hitman. 14 Shocking footage shows the moment a killer shoots gangster Ross Monaghan dead Credit: Unpixs 14 Career criminal Monaghan, right, and Eddie Lyons Jr, left, were both killed in the shocking hit Credit: Les Gallagher 14 A property torched in Edinburgh linked to caged crime kingpin Mark Richardson 14 Brutal gang warfare has seen properties firebombed in recent months Credit: PA Holidaymakers enjoying a stroll in the sunny beach paradise of Fuengirola, Spain, The shocking scenes are believed to be the latest escalation of The last few months have seen No suspects have been arrested so far, but it's thought the double assasination was ordered by members of the Daniel mob and allies of caged Edinburgh cocaine kingpin Mark Richardson. And with retaliation a near certainty, it is feared that allies of the murdered pair are already flying out to seek retribution. As one onlooker who witnessed the horrific scenes in Spain over the weekend told The Sun: 'I've already heard that there are people coming over on the plane this morning from Scotland to enact revenge. 'They weren't hiding who they were - using their real names, no bodyguards. So it's almost as if they've gotten complacent. 'You can see a darkness - something bad behind their eyes.' Most read in The Sun Both Monaghan and Lyons Jnr were top members of Glasgow's Lyons mob, two-decades long rivals of the Daniels. Monaghan fled Scotland for Spain after a failed attempt on his life outside a Glasgow primary school in 2017. Horror moment Scots gangster Ross Monaghan is shot dead by hitman at Spanish pub as staff & punters flee in terror But both the Daniels and Richardson gangs have over the last few months faced attacks ordered by a new mobster on the block, known as 'Miami', determined to establish himself as a force to be feared. Meanwhile, Spain-based Lyons associates have acted as middle men and recruited foot soldiers on the ground. The bloody feud began with a drug deal gone wrong involving Ross 'Miami' McGill, a McGill was a long-time ringleader of the Union Bears, the club's most hardcore group of fans. Dozens of snaps show the Scotsman leading chants from the stands of the Ibrox stadium and he was even given a send-off by then-manager Steven Gerrard when he stepped away from the leadership role in 2021. You can see a darkness - something bad behind their eyes Crime scene witness By then, however, McGill was on the police's radar and soon moved to Dubai after skipping court on drug-dealing allegations. It is from there that he is believed to have been directing a wave of attacks across those who crossed him. 'When EncroChat was cracked, many senior members of organised crime were detained in prisons up and down the country,' explains Graeme Pearson, former director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Agency. EncroChat was a communications tool widely used by organised crime to talk in secret. Its infiltration by police and crime agencies led to hundreds of arrests across the UK and Europe. 'The next generation of would-be gangsters stepped into that void and decided that they were going to be the top kids going forward,' Graeme says. 'It left something of a vacuum at a top level for somebody like McGill to step into the frame.' 'All hell broke loose' He continues: 'All hell broke loose in February. It became evident there'd been a fallout, allegedly about the theft of half a million pounds worth of drugs. 'Ross McGill came onto the scene, but being a new face, the gang took advantage of him, and he was paid with counterfeit money.' Having been done over for £500,000, the mobster is said to have wasted little time before enacting revenge. 14 McGill is a former Rangers ultra, pictured next to captain James Tavernier 14 McGill, posing in a white Rolls Royce, is said to be directing a gang war from Dubai In McGill's crosshairs were allies of Edinburgh-based cocaine kingpin Mark Richardson, currently being held in isolation at HMP Low Moss. Calling themselves Tamu Junto (TMJ) - Portuguese for 'We're in this together' - the footsoldiers targeted homes and businesses belonging to those linked to Richardson and the Daniels. The shameless group have even been posting sinister, slick videos set to music proudly showing off the trail of destruction they've left. One clip made in April showed the aftermath of a firebomb attack on a garage linked to the son of the late Jamie Daniel, while a house in Edinburgh was also torched. It became evident there'd been a fallout, allegedly about the theft of half a million pounds worth of drugs Graeme Pearson, former director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Agency In the video, they warn: 'We are urging everyone in Scotland on the streets and those incarcerated to join us in the fight against Mark Richardson and the Daniels family. 'These rats have been thieving for a long time. 'It's time for people to stand together as one and remove this vermin from the streets.' Earlier in May, the home owned by Kelly 'Bo' Green, daughter of late crime kingpin Jamie Daniel and ex-partner of slain gangster Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll was torched, leaving scorch marks around the exterior. Even more shockingly, a 12-year-old boy and 72-year-old woman were battered after being found in a property linked to the Daniel family. A trio of thugs armed with knives and machetes also stormed a car repair firm in East Kilbride run by convicted heroin dealer Robert Daniel, 50. 14 This house in Edinburgh's Hay Drive area was the latest to be targeted in a series of attacks in April Credit: Duncan McGlynn 14 Edinburgh-based cocaine kingpin Mark Richardson is currently being held in isolation at HMP Low Moss Credit: Michael Schofield - The Sun Glasgow It is believed that the Lyons mobsters based in the Costa del Sol proved crucial in helping McGill identify targets and recruit foot soldiers for his war of revenge, with boss Steven Lyons, 44, thought to live there. 'The TMJ is a very new development. The authorities haven't recognised it yet,' says Pearson. 'But there is a street acceptance that they operate at the behest of McGill. 'So when McGill erupted onto the scene, it seemed a marriage of convenience for the Lyons family to connect up with the new kid on the block.' There is currently no extradition treaty between the UK and Dubai. As such, thugs like McGill are essentially untouchable, able to live a life of luxury with their ill-gotten millions. 14 A haul of firearms seized during Operation Escalade, a Scottish police operation fighting back against organised crime 14 A grenade was among the cache of weapons discovered in a concealed compartment at the back of a Honda car 14 £5.1m in cash seized in Operation Venetic, an investigation on Encrochat, the encrypted communication system used by organised crime gangs Credit: PA 14 Shootings and firebombings have gripped Scotland's streets amid an explosion of violence The vicious mob recently refuted reports that McGill had called for the violence to be halted. 'We have terrorised you since March and we will continue to do so,' they said in a post on social media only the day before Monaghan and Lyons were shot. 'Despite false claims in the media, TMJ will continue to target anyone associated with the Daniel family or Mark Richardson. 'We aren't going away - we will continue to target you. 'We have no rules, we have no limits. 'We are coming for you.' It's thought that more than 100 mafia-like groups could be operating on the Costa del Sol, which is less than an hour's drive away from the port of Algeciras, one of Europe's main points of entry for cocaine. The expiration of an extradition agreement between the UK and Spain in 1978 made the region especially popular among British gangsters. Charlie Wilson, part of the Great Train Robbery, was one of them - before he was shot dead in 1990 at his villa in Marbella. There was also the crook and nightclub owner Ronnie Knight, and Krays associate Freddie Foreman. Meanwhile, plenty of lesser-known Brit gangsters have met a grizzly end on this part of the Spanish coastline. That includes Scott Bradfield, whose limbs were found crammed into a suitcase back in 2002, and 39-year-old Sean Hercules from Leeds, who died following a shootout with police in 2018. Wave of violence Police Scotland have so far made more than 40 arrests as part of Operation Portaledge, which was launched in response to the escalating violence. Scotland's top cop Jo Farrell said the force is determined to create 'a hostile environment' for gangsters involved in the violence. Underworld figures have claimed that McGill rejected an offer of peace talks with top mob boss Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, 45. An insider said: 'Bonzo has reached out a few times looking to call for peace. 'But the Dubai guy has made it clear he is not interested.' McGill and the Lyon clan also have a trick up their sleeve - an alliance formed between the slain Monaghan and the notorious Kinahan crime cartel from Ireland. 14 Chilling clips of firebomb attacks are being shared on social media and WhatsApp 14 A forensics team at the scene of an attack last month Credit: Andrew Barr It is believed that Monaghan was key in building the friendship after he boldly approached arch-boss Daniel Kinahan several years ago. As allies of the slain gangsters plot revenge, their alliance with the Irish gangsters could prove crucial in gaining an upper hand against their Scottish rivals once and for all. Read more on the Irish Sun Meanwhile, the ambitious McGill is also likely to not let Saturday's dramatic violence deter him from waging war on his rivals. And with carnage all but guaranteed, the Costa del Sol may find itself the sunny backdrop to a very bloody game of revenge.
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Sweeping law forcing major building change to all new Irish homes would cost €4.5k but cut bills by €1k EVERY year
BEFORE sweeping into power in the UK, the Labour party promised a 'rooftop revolution' that would see millions more properties fitted with solar panels. All new homes in Advertisement 2 Brian Kelly says it's time to make solar panels mandatory on all new-build homes 2 The move would slash electricity bills for households Credit: Getty Images - Getty However, the measure will save English households around €1,000 per year on their energy bills. The This would require Ireland to implement a new law to meet these requirements. Writing in Advertisement READ MORE ON ENERGY BILLS IT'S high time that new homes in Ireland be required to have solar panels fitted on their rooftops, following similar policies in England and The move would slash electricity bills for households and also reduce our In England, property developers will be legally required to install solar panels on the roofs of new homes by 2027 under It is estimated that the rooftop installations could save new homeowners in England around £1,000 per year on their Advertisement Most read in The Irish Sun Latest Beginning in 2020, California mandated that most new homes, apartments and commercial buildings have PV panels installed. And in Ireland, surveys have shown that the vast majority of people think we should follow suit. Scots charity uses power of the sun to save lives Some 81 per cent of people voiced their support for mandatory solar panels on Among the majority of respondents who were in favour of the proposal, many highlighted the many environmental and financial benefits of solar energy. Advertisement They're right — all new homes in Ireland will need to have rooftop panels fitted by 2029 under EU rules anyway, and it makes sense for the SUCCESSFUL GRANTS Existing grants from the SEAI have been hugely successful in encouraging people to invest in solar – with close to 30,000 homes being kitted out with panels in 2024. The current grant for solar is €1,800, and the average cost of a typical solar system of 10 panels costs around €6,600 after the grant. These Advertisement One deterrent for new homeowners to install solar is that after paying an extortionate amount for a new home, they are unable to access these grants. This is because SEAI grants are only offered to homes that were built before 2021. GOOD REASON On the surface, there is a good reason for this — the government is prioritising upgrading the energy efficiency of older homes instead of newly built, A-rated homes. But this leaves a growing body of homes in Ireland which are not eligible for the SEAI grant if people want to make their homes even more energy efficient. While the bottom line is the most important factor for those considering getting panels installed, grants also play an important psychological role, giving many homeowners the nudge and incentive they need to make the leap and request a quote. Advertisement Whether the grants are maintained at their current level or cut by €300 each year, Ireland must begin to make solar panels mandatory. SOLAR ENERGY TARGETS The EU's Solar Energy Strategy has legally binding targets for the integration of solar panels into new buildings in member states starting from 2026. New public and commercial buildings with a 'useful floor space' of 250m² or more will have to install solar panels from next year, and existing buildings must do the same by 2027. In 2029, new homes will be required by EU law to have rooftop solar panels. And although there might be an initial impact on prices from an increase in building costs, this measure will only benefit households, especially as electricity becomes the main source of heating, replacing gas and oil boilers. Advertisement Older homes which are not suitable for a heat pump without massive renovations may find it easier to replace an old gas or oil boiler with an electric boiler, which is much less efficient than a heat pump and uses considerably more energy. The growing adoption of With electricity becoming dominant, mandating new-builds to have a solar system on their rooftops is an obvious and sensible step – one that we should make without delay.
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘Dilapidated' UK town is being turned into booming hotspot with its own canal park in £100k makeover
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