A PUBLIC consultation into part of the Castle Circus regeneration project failed to attract punters.

People were invited to the Assembly Rooms in Torquay to view plans for a £6.8million 40,000 square foot office block proposed for part of the Town Hall car park.

But just 30 people made it through the doors during the first two hours of the exhibition.

Torbay Council are proposing to build the four-storey office block for non-council occupancy, which they say could create 1,000 jobs in the Bay.

The project is part of a wider £36million scheme to regenerate the Castle Circus area which will include reorganisation of the council office space.

But this exhibition just focused on the office block on the car park.

Tim Bacon (pictured), Torbay Development Agency project director, said they hope to lose only 13 parking spaces in building on the site.

He said the council is in talks to acquire the Upton Valley building which would be demolished to provide additional parking spaces.

He added: "The car park is well used, but mainly by council staff. We will be having a travel-to-work plan, and although we will be having more people working in the town hall we will manage the way they travel to work."

The development would also see the removal of the Shopmobility and the Coalition for the Disabled shops currently sited at the entrance to the Town Hall car park.

Mr Bacon said they would be moved to a different site.

"We are in early discussions with them at the moment," he added.

The proposed design is a four-storey office bock which Mr Bacon said is 'tallish for Torquay'.

"It is quite acceptable and it is going to go to the design review panel at the end of the week," he said.

"The space will be flexible so it could be let to one big occupier, a series of big occupiers or as separate units."