Our Torbay. Our Story. Our Future
Torbay is made up of three towns — Torquay, Paignton and Brixham — each with its own character, history and community. Together they form a Bay that people are proud to call home.
For some, Torbay is the place they grew up. For others, it is where they have chosen to build a life, raise a family, start a business or make a fresh start. What connects all of those stories is the same thing: this is a place with strong communities, natural beauty and real potential.
People often know Torbay and the English Riviera for its coastline, beaches and visitor appeal. That matters, and it is a big part of who we are. But it is only part of the story. Torbay is also a place of work, enterprise, creativity and care. It is home to people doing extraordinary things every day to help shape what comes next for the Bay.
Torbay offers something increasingly valuable: a place with room to grow, a strong sense of identity and communities that care about where they live.
For residents, that means a place that should feel hopeful, connected and full of possibility.
For businesses and investors, it means a place with talent, quality of life, distinctive strengths and a clear ambition for the future.
This is the story we want to tell more clearly — not just what Torbay looks like, but what it feels like to live here, what people are building here, and why it matters.
Because Torbay’s story is not really about branding. It is about people. Their lives, their places, their hopes for the future, and the role we can all play in shaping what comes next.
A place where people make things happen
Torbay’s story is not only about the setting. It is about the people who live and work here.
Across the Bay, there are people doing remarkable things every day — in local businesses, community groups, schools, health services, creative organisations and growing industries. Some of that work happens quietly. Some of it is world-leading. Much of it is rooted in the same values: care, resilience, ambition and pride in place.
We are home to businesses working in areas such as photonics, marine industries, nanotechnology and medical technology. These sectors matter not just because they bring investment and jobs, but because they show that Torbay is a place where ideas can grow and where innovation sits alongside everyday life.
That mix is one of Torbay’s strengths. It means we can offer both quality of life and economic opportunity — a place where people can enjoy living, while also building careers, developing skills and creating new opportunities for the future.
Life by the Bay
Living in Torbay means being close to the sea, green spaces and the outdoors. That shapes daily life here in a very real way.
For some people, that means walking the coast path before work, taking children to the beach after school, or getting out on the water at the weekend. For others, it means the wellbeing that comes from being connected to nature and having space to breathe.
The Bay offers adventure if you want it, from kayaking and paddleboarding to diving and open-water swimming. But it also offers quieter things that matter just as much — time outside, local views, familiar places and a lifestyle that many people value deeply.
That quality of life is not just good for residents. It is also part of why people choose to move here, stay here, invest here and grow businesses here.
More than a world class visitor destination
Torbay has always been a place people are drawn to. The coastline, the sea, the scenery and the sense of escape matter, and they always will. But if we only talk about Torbay as somewhere people come to visit, we miss the bigger and more important story of the people who live their lives here every day.
Torbay has deep roots and amazing people. It is a place where people grow up, build families, start businesses, care for others, volunteer in their communities and work hard to create a better future. The next chapter of Torbay Story needs to help residents see themselves in that story, with a clearer link between change, investment and everyday life.
What makes Torbay special is not one single thing. It is the mix of people, place and possibility. Residents who helps out when someone needs support. The volunteer keeping a local group going. The small business owner taking a chance. The young person building skills and confidence. The community that comes together around a town, a project, a school, a green space or a local event. That is the real story of Torbay, and it deserves to be told more often and more honestly.
There is heritage here, culture here and pride here. There are stories in our town centres, on our harbours, in our sports clubs, in our community spaces and in the people behind local change. There is also ambition here — in the businesses growing across the Bay, in the partnerships backing regeneration, and in the residents who want Torbay to be the best it can be. The opportunity is to bring those things together in a way that feels true: celebrating what is good, being honest about what needs to improve, and showing how progress connects to people’s lives.
That is why Torbay is more than a visitor destination. It is a place with depth, identity and momentum. A place with natural beauty, yes, but also with talent, ideas, resilience and community spirit. A place where people want to spend time, but also a place where people want to stay, contribute and build something for the future.
The Torbay Story
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