“Councillor Lewis is only Deputy Mayor by default - not elected by the people. He may recognise that regeneration is desperately needed, but he is a master at 'drawing a line' under continuing failure and really good at sweeping things under the carpet that might undermine his misguided loyalties.
Management of major projects in Torbay is very poor indeed and there still is a complete lack of accountability by torbay Council.
Many people put forward great ideas for Rock Walk - none of which have been taken on board.
Remember the laughable 'Consultations' - the cardboard box for comments and nobody in attendance!!
That is what Torbay Council thinks of the local population.
What a legacy fo our young people.”

“Funny how Mr Lewis suddenly appears when Ms Pentney writes on here.

I know very little of your background Mr Lewis but I am guessing you are not local and there is is a hint of marketeer about you, am I correct? You seem to give everything that is local a different name to it, what was it the other week the Waterfront, I guess that is the Harbour or the Seafront, no locals call it the Waterfront, then we have the new name for Rock Walk, cannot remember what you called it now, the Royal Terrace Gardens or something like that, it was first called Fisherman's Walk. Oh by the way the walk where the seats are is called Tar Path was called Tarr Path to begin with.

Torbay Council is now a business and should be run like it, shame it is not, we have two guys as the top who have not a single qualification to run a business, yet alone be a managing Director or a Financial and Operations Director, as you two like to appear, may I remind you both that you are paid though the money we pay in taxes and you should be answerable to us, you should listen and give information to your shareholders, that is in effect what we are. AND STOP WASTING MONEY AND KILLING TORBAY.

As for Rock Walk when was the last big landslip. If my memory serves me right it was about 30 years ago after a severe winter that seems to have lasted for months, the weather changed the frost and ice melted and dislodged the face of several cliffs in the Bay including, Daison Quarry, Parkfield Road Quarry, the cliffs behind the GPO, the cliffs on Vane Hill and Rock Walk. All these were netted and drilled by a company from Buckfastleigh and they warned there could be further problems if the trees on Rock Walk were disturbed, they alleged that it would be disastrous. I am no expert, far from it, but I can remember this as one of my buildings was flattened. I agree with you Mr Lewis that the remedial work was not carried out by the council at that time, it was run by Tory business men who were after a quick and they could not make that through the expenses then paid to Mayors, so they made there money through the back door.

Viv you seem to be near to my age and I can always remember walking as a family, in our Sunday best clothes, my Nan, Mum, Dad and sister and cousins and the highlight was standing over the lights at dusk, and making sickly faces in the reflected light and trying to scare my Nan and getting a clip by my Dad, good old days, simple things please kids and parents.... can you imagine doing that today, the harbour and seafront are no go area now.

As for the thousands of used drug needles found when it was cleaned up a few years ago, that is another made up rumour, no one counted the needles, my Uncle was in charge of that operation and he always said that was complete nonsense, about 200 hundred were collected. Mr Lewis has failed to mention the number of prostitutes that used the area, another trumped up rumour.

Mr Lewis your days are numbered you and Mr Bye will soon be gone, what have both in common you are both failed politicians.

All the people want is a decent place to live in comfort and safety and to enjoy or lovely natural surroundings. I am not against change but please tidy the place up and stop having fancy ideas....AND TELL US ABOUT THEM.”

“"Renovation work on the top path is almost complete." Please can it be opened when it's ready then.”

“We have been challenged to come up with an alternative to what has been done on Rock Walk. How about the following?
Netting suspended 40 - 50 feet off the Rock Walk cliff face held up with pylons bedded in foundations along the bottom of the cliff face.
The trees that have been removed could have been left in place. Along the base of the cliff a wall erected and back filled with water. This would have allowed for the fall of rocks into a water feature below. The worse that could have happened with inevitable rock falls was that observers and No12 buses got wet. Let nature take its course.
Suspended under the netting from the pylons, a cable car ride from one end of Rock Walk to the other. At least this would enable disabled visitors and the aged to take in the views. A small charge for the ride could also generate positive revenue.
This scheme could have very easily become a first class, unique tourist attraction along the line of the Eden project. Something to really put Torquay on the tourist map. Call it Living Cliffs. OK not everyone agrees with Living Coasts but at least this brings in a revenue.
Suggestions for Princess Gardens anyone?”

“Cllr Lewis, There are ways of going about things , the arrogance shown by The Mayor and yourself towards the council tax payers who dare criticise is beyond belief . What was the point of the mayor saying that he and yourself with Carroll will have the last laugh regards the Rock Walk.
you tell me!! Yes Walk Rock needed a good make over but i,m not convinced that the cutting down of healthy trees was the answer. When looking at old postcards of Rock walk a
hundred years or so ago it was then covered with holm oak
trees and was very much the same as before the chain saws got to work. The difference then was gardeners kept it clear of fallen debris and tended the garden daily. No one wants the project to succeed more than myself. I also recall in my youth walking the paths of Rock Walk when they were open with very fond memories . I think Torbay is at a pivotal point at this time , you
can listen and say no, on the odd occasion and say weve got this wrong, its not right for Torbay or be at logger heads with the majority on all projects .

viv.”

“Lets get the job done right. Even if it takes more money and time at least it will be a nice place to go when it's all done. So many people in the past have taken short cuts hence why we are in this mess.

Engineers can not always see the unforeseen especially when dealing with rock faces on major works such as this. And unlike many flat building sites solutions can take time and money to get right. Would it be a good thing to get it built and find out it falls on some cynic's head!
Do people realise how far the buildings on Warren Road are from the cliff face? A lot further than you might think when you are up there. (Not that any of you will have been to the top in the last two years). The thought that any development might destablise the cliff face is pretty much laughable. There have been building projects undertaken closer to cliff faces then anything that might happen at Conway Court.

I'm very much hoping that once this whole project is complete we'll all be able to enjoy the area again for many years to come, with little money needing to be spent on its upkeep.
Get things right in the first place and it'll last for decades.”

“I think they do care, Gordon of East Kilbride, but I do honestly believe that most councillors do not have the managerial ability to run the organisation. On the other side of the coin those councillors who have expertise and experience are resented by the officers of the council resulting in the absolute mess that you encounter when you visit. May I personally offer my apologies to you for your bad experience of Torbay because I was one of the voters who selected the present Council. I am very sorry.”

“Interesting points, but no one states what they would have done with a rock face that was dangerous, a rock path that had rotted away, a place where hundreds of needles were found in the first few weeks.

It was a dreadful place to visit and walk through and no credit to Torbay.

Ruth Petney tries to make a political point but has no suggestions on what she would have done.

We formed a cross party board who have been involved in each stage of the project. The Lib/Dem member being very supportive throughout!

Like many parts of the Bay Rock Walk has been neglected over the past twenty/thirty years.

This admistration is making difficult decisions and trying to make the Bay a better place to live in, visit and work in.

It is a great pity others over the years had not done the same, we would not be in the state we find ourselves if others havd invested!”

“I think the council should be relocated to the top or bottom of rock walk, plus a suitable office for the mayor too!”

“My wife and I have visited Torquay every year for the last 14 years. We were quite taken aback when we came 2 years ago and noticed that these major works were being carried out. We were even more taken aback when they were still being undertaken a year later. We love Torquay and will always return, but how many people will come if the sea front (and the main road into the town!) resemble a building site. Are the railings blocking off the outer harbour (outside the Pavillion Theatre) still there? They were there the last twice we visited also! From the outside looking in, it looks as if the people running the town do not care that it is starting to look quite run down and that is sad.”