January 2024: Click here to download (PDF)
December 2023: Click here to download (PDF)
October 2022: Click here to download (PDF)
MONTEL
Torquay Public Realm Scheme
Updates
Information
Residents Letters
FAQ
Updates
January 2025
Montel Civil Engineering Ltd. successfully delivered a transformatve public realm scheme for Torquay, The Strand.
This project not only enhanced the physical infrastructure but also generated significant social and environmental value, aligning with Torbay Council’s vision for community and environmental sustainability.
July 2024
Our scheme at Torquay being undertaken for Torbay Council is really coming along now, check out the most recent drone footage.
June 2024 Update 3
A few weeks back we attended Cockington Primary school to present to the year two students, we spoke about bridges, Brunel and health and safety, It was great to get some feedback recently. ” You were really engaging with the children and got them on their level. They really enjoyed the practical activity!”. If you’d like us to attend your educational facility get in touch to find out more.
June 2024 Update 2
Our team at our Torquay site being undertaken for Torbay Council recently undertook 60 hours of volunteering at the English Riviera Airshow.
They were thrilled to receive this recent feedback from the team at Torbay Council. “Without your help and commitment, we would not have been able to provide the quality of site that we did. Nothing was too much trouble, no task incomplete and for that I am hugely thankful.
June 2024
It was a beautiful day yesterday at our Torquay scheme being undertaken for Torbay Council so our drone pilot got the drone up to get a look at the scheme from above. Changes are really happening as the new paving begins to be laid in some areas.
May 2024 – Update 2
As we did during the Easter break at our Torquay scheme being undertaken for Torbay Council, we will be re-instating two lanes of traffic (one in each direction) from Friday the 24th of May until Sunday the 9th of June. Though this will ease traffic congestion in the area, we’d still advise, if possible, avoiding the area by car, and parking in one of the out-of-town car parks and walking into the harbourside (a perfect excuse for coffee and cake at one of the great independent cafes). Check out the attached video to see how the scheme has been looking this week.
May 2024
The weather was lovely in Torquay on Thursday, so our drone pilot for the South West managed to get the drone up for some updated footage of the progress of the scheme we’re undertaking for Torbay Council and the Torquay community.
February 2024
A few weeks ago, we progressed into phase two of the scheme. This has required us to reduce The Strand to single lane traffic and has required us to put temporary traffic management in place at the junctions of Torwood Street, Victoria Parade and on The Strand. Due to this traffic management long delays are being experienced at peak times. We would advise the community that, if possible, please use alternative routes around the area, for example if using the Fleet Walk car park, please enter this from the Rock Road/ Melville Street entrance to ensure you don’t get caught in the traffic delays.
During this phase of the works, we have had to remove four trees, these have been donated to local community groups, some the palms trees in the area also had to be removed, we managed to donate some of these to the local community, the remaining that we were unable to re-home had to be sent off for green waste.
January 2024
Phase one of the scheme has seen us undertake the initial enabling works, the community will see that the central reservation on The Strand has been removed, along with some of the crossing points in the area, and these have now been reconstructed and temporary crossings have been put in place. During these works and phase two trees and plants have and will continue to be carefully removed in stages. We have been working with local community representatives to re-home these plants whenever possible and will continue to do so during the next phase of the scheme. Any plants and trees that are unsuitable to be replanted will be collected by a green waste contractor (you may see these in storage near the scheme while awaiting collection). Where possible, some of the palm trees in the area will be retained, for example those on Cary Parade, while the works are ongoing these will be protected to ensure they do not become damaged during the works.
During the next few weeks, the community will see four of the trees on The Strand being removed, due to their size and deeply embedded routes we are unable to remove and replant these. The wood from these trees will be donated locally. Torbay Council do have a replanting strategy in place for the area and this will include low maintenance plants and trees that are suitable for the environment.
We undertook a successful second “Meet the Team” event at the Harbour Masters office on the 4th of January, were we met with the local community to discuss the next phase of the scheme and the possible impact this may have in the area.
Our teams have also been doing what they can to help within the community over the last month. They have assisted the Harbour Master with navigating four 20-meter pontoons through the area, and along with our traffic management company Idverde, we delivered a donation of fencing to Watcombe Primary school.
November 2023
We have arrived and our site compound has been set up, phase one of the works have begun, this includes the enabling works for the project, this will include our teams removing and re-constructing the central islands within the works areas, during this phase all traffic lights and pedestrian crossings will be removed and temporary traffic lights and pedestrian crossings will be put in place. During these works the traffic on The Strand will be reduced to a single lane in both directions to create more space for our teams to work within, this will ensure the safety of our teams and the public. The public will begin to see our teams’ removing trees and foliage from central reservations and traffic islands as we begin to clear the area. (Where possible, plants and trees will be donated to local community groups).
October 2023
Montel and Torbay council held a “Meet the Team” event at the Green Ginger in Torquay to give the local community and businesses the opportunity to talk with the team about the scheme and to discuss any concerns they may have.
Information
Montel Civil Engineering has been engaged by Torbay Council to undertake the redevelopment of the Torbay Harbour area of the town to create a high-quality vibrant town centre the public will want to visit and invest in. The scheme has a focus on improving active travel options for the community by incorporating safe segregated cycleways, and by reducing vehicle traffic within the area, ensuring safer access into the town for pedestrians and cyclists.
The scheme will be undertaken in 4 phases to reduce road closures and the disruption to the local community. Each phasing of works and any changes to access within the area will be communicated regular newsletters, on our social media and website, and via the community board near our site entrance.
The phasing’s and their timescales, and the works to be undertaken throughout each phase are:
- Phase 1— Enabling works, these will begin in November.
- Phase 2— Main Works, these will begin in January and are anticipated to be completed in May.
- Phase 3— Main Works including incorporating construction of the new cycleway, these works are anticipated to be completed in July.
- Phase 4— Continuing of the main works.
- Final Surfacing— To be undertaken in September for a duration of two weeks.
For more information about this scheme please visit Torbay Councils dedicated webpage using the link below:
Residents Letters
FAQ
When will Montel arrive on site and how long will the works take?
We will being to set up our compound during the first week of November and we anticipate the scheme will be completed in late summer 2024.
Will the traffic be affected?
Some phases of the works will require temporary traffic management to reduce and manage traffic flow within the area. This keeps our teams and the general public safe and will minimise disruption to local businesses. Advance warnings of any changes will be communicated via our newsletters, social media and yellow advance warning signs near the highway.
What about the bus stops and taxi ranks?
Some phases of the works will require closures of bus stops and taxi ranks, these will be kept to a minimum, and any changes will be communicated in advance. (Please see the information overleaf for the first phase)
What days will Montel be working?
Generally, Monday to Friday 7:30am to 6pm, although there may be occasions where we need to work beyond this in order to complete specific activities. No works will be undertaken on Bank Holidays or Sundays. We are not permitted to work in hours of darkness so will be not be creating any unnecessary light or noise after dark.
Will there be CCTV recording on site?
Our CCTV cameras will be set up to film the site and will not be recording local businesses or the public. Should an alarm be activated out of working hours, we will be notified by the company monitoring our CCTV and will arrange for a key holder to attend site to investigate and call the police if required.
Will there be a lot of mud, noise and dust?
Regular cleaning of the highways leading into the works area will be undertaken to ensure highways are kept clear of debris as for the duration of the works.
Our machinery has the latest technology in noise suppression, though we still monitor noise levels throughout the day to ensure they are within acceptable levels, any high noise activities shall only take place between 09.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday.
Due to the nature of the works dust creation may occur, but dust barriers and water suppression will reduce the impact of any dust created by our activities.
Other information
We are aware the works may impact local businesses and residents within the area, and we request that should you have any concerns or comments about the works please contact us via the email address supplied and we will endeavour to work with local businesses to reduce any impact on them.