The English Riviera Airshow is set to go ahead as planned next weekend despite major disruption in the centre of Paignton following the partial collapse of a landmark building in Station Square.
Exclusive photos taken on Wednesday show demolition crews beginning work on the unsafe row of buildings after large pieces of masonry crashed around 20 feet into the road on Sunday afternoon, forcing the busy route to close over the Bank Holiday weekend.
The affected block, which includes a pub, takeaway and a derelict former nightclub, remains cordoned off while structural engineers and contractors work to make the site safe.
With thousands of visitors expected to arrive on the English Riviera for the annual airshow, Torbay Council says maintaining public safety and access to transport links remains a priority. Paignton’s railway and bus stations sit directly beside the affected area, making the closure one of the town’s most significant traffic disruptions in recent years.
Despite the incident, preparations for the hugely popular event are continuing, with the council confirming it is working to ensure access routes remain open ahead of the busy weekend.
Police and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue were first called to the scene at around 2pm on Sunday after the masonry fell from the crumbling facade into Station Square. The road was quickly sealed off amid fears of further collapse. The building had already raised safety concerns last year, when scaffolding and protective netting were installed after fears parts of the front could fall into the street.
Heavy machinery and demolition workers were on site throughout Tuesday as emergency works got underway. Torbay Council said it had stepped in using emergency powers after no action was taken by the building owners, locally-based Solanki Holdings.
While travel disruption is expected to continue in the coming days, organisers are pressing ahead with the English Riviera Airshow, one of the South West’s biggest free events, which attracts tens of thousands of spectators to Torbay’s seafront each year.
