Oldway Mansions Regeneration - Open Day

music hub The main phase of construction work on Oldway Mansion is due to start later in the year, and an open day is arranged on 5 October for local people and Friends groups to view the building and see plans for its redevelopment before work starts.

The open day welcomes local residents to visit Oldway Mansion between 2pm and 4pm, (with a separate tour for the Friends group arranged between 12pm and 2pm).

The latest phase of works will include renovation and conversion work on the mansion and stables to convert the listed buildings into a 57 bedroom luxury spa hotel. Work will also commence on proposals to develop housing, as per the permission given last year.

Torbay Council, Torbay Development Agency and Akkeron, through extensive consultation with stakeholders, have devised a scheme that protects this important piece of architecture and landscape for future generations, as well as creating a viable business that no longer requires significant public funding.

As well as the development of the luxury hotel, the scheme includes:

* Reinstatement and restoration of key elements of the formal gardens, historic landscape, ponds and grotto; and a woodland management scheme.
* 46 new 3 & 4 bed homes sympathetically constructed within the grounds and 56 apartments being constructed currently by McCarthy and Stone on the area known as Fernham.
* Enhancement of the existing sporting facilities with the construction of a new indoor bowling facility, the reorientation of 6 hard surface tennis courts, to help provide new public car parking and the retention of the existing outdoor bowling facilities.
* Purpose built ceremony venue echoing the original Orangery building, to be operated by Torbay Council, that will include a public cafe.

Work on the replacement indoor bowls club and tennis courts area are hoped to start around Easter of 2014 to ensure the new club is ready for the indoor bowls season programme of matches next autumn.

Over 70 new full time equivalent jobs will be created by the new hotel and the management of the grounds. At the peak of the construction phase, 150 additional jobs will be created.

Torbay Mayor, Gordon Oliver said: “I am very pleased that development works on this project will be starting soon to ensure the preservation of the buildings and grounds at Oldway for the enjoyment of both residents and visitors. We are committed to creating a new beginning for Oldway Mansion; by investing in and revitalising the listed buildings and gardens; there is an opportunity to ensure the legacy passed on by the Singer family to Torbay will live on.

The community was immensely involved in the project from the start, and it is very exciting to see all that hard work now coming to fruition.”

Torbay Development Agency Chief Executive and Executive Director of Torbay Council Steve Parrock said: “The Oldway restoration project will deliver a great asset for Torbay, together with many new jobs, and I am looking forward to seeing the next phase commence. The restoration will also significantly reduce Torbay Council's future repairs and maintenance commitment at a time when big savings are required in public sector.”

Paul Hawthorne, Chair of the Friends of Oldway said ”We have worked consistently on getting a fair and viable solution for the Oldway Estate over the last 4 years. Our initial reservations have been addressed, and I believe we are indeed on the way to achieving a future for the house and gardens that our Members and the wider people of Torbay can be happy with.”

Head of Akkeron regeneration, Mark Jones said: “We are pleased to be working towards starting work on the hotel. We are looking forward to the open day on 5 October, to show everyone interested in the project the history and current condition of the buildings along with plans we have for the hotel. We will also be on hand to explain some of the interventions that will be needed as part of the conversion.”