TEIGNBRIDGE and Newton Abbot, in particular, is on the up.

That's the view of new Teignbridge Council leader Jeremey Christophers as he outlined his vision for the area which could include high rise buildings for the town centre.

Cllr Christophers (pictured), whose Conservative party took control of the council in May, said the district was giving Torbay a run for its money.

He said: "Twenty years ago everyone from Newton Abbot used to go to Torbay for a night out. Now the reverse is true.

"We have a strong economy all round, we have better access, some would say better shops, and it is a more balanced economy night-time to day-time.

Cllr Christophers believes the town is performing as strongly as any market town in Devon.

"I think we can be as optimistic as any of the comparable towns in Devon," he said.

He said the administration is taking a more positive approach to the future growth of the area and its outlying towns.

"These are exciting times in Teignbridge at the moment. We have got some good characters doing good things both on the council and in the community."

One of the biggest changes on the horizon for Newton Abbot could be the move of the historic cattle market out of its heart which opens up a large central area for regeneration.

The site could make way for high rise schemes as long as design is right, he says.

It is expected to include a mix of retail, residential and offices.

"This would open up quite a tranche of land in the town centre for redevelopment.

"A big shot across our bows in Newton Abbot was that Kitsons and Peplows have had to move away from the town. They traditionally had very strong links with Newton and that was a real wake up call to the new administration that we cannot go on losing that calibre of jobs in the town — the professional element.

"We don't have that many modern purpose-built offices.

Funding may come from the Government's New Homes Bonus."

Cllr Christophers added: "We need to get people back into our town centres. It doesn't work when you have retail and empty space up above. It creates ghost towns. Elderly and disabled residents need somewhere in a town centre. With high rise development you can provide that.

"This gives us the opportunity to do a really good job in Newton Abbot. Design is key, I think a lot of people are anti-development but there is a right and a wrong way of doing things."

A planning application is expected soon for an agri-centre near Drumbridges which will include the moved cattle market said Mr Christophers.

Mineral giant Sibelco and its development partner Arnold Whites Estates earlier this year unveiled plans to provide a new livestock market at its Ilford Park site. The company has brought forward the four-acre site as part of its £20million plans for a trunk road service area including a hotel, pub restaurant, car parking area and diversion route off the A382.

Elsewhere in Teignbridge the council are looking at a mix of brown field and green field sites.

"We are not ruling out green field but it needs to be done in the right places," he said.

"There are challenges in and around Newton Abbot and we are looking at the Sibelco land in the Kingsteignton area as well.

"Our local development framework will be going out for consultation for Kingsteignton shortly."

Among the schemes already on the cards are nearly 730 new homes on former clay workings at Newcross, Rackerhayes and Zitherixon outside Kingsteignton, 450 homes at Mile End at Highweek, nearly 100 at Cardew Pottery at Bovey Tracey.

Work is also under way at a new 60-bedroom Premier Inn at Newton Abbot Racecourse.