Transforming Torbay: Creating a thriving coastal community
Chris Wheeler, our Regional Head of Land and Development, reflects on the important role social infrastructure plays in shaping local and regional regeneration.
Successful placemaking starts with understanding people. Yet too often, decisions are shaped by assumptions rather than evidence.
At UKREiiF 2026, we brought together local authority leaders, regeneration specialists and data experts to explore how data can help create places that better reflect community needs, attract investment and deliver lasting social value. Using Redcar and Torbay as case studies, the workshop explored two key questions: how can we better understand community needs, and how can data help shape future regeneration decisions?
What emerged was a clear message. Data is most valuable when it supports local knowledge, strengthens decision-making and builds confidence among communities, politicians and investors.
Understanding place before planning change
One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was that successful regeneration begins with understanding a place's identity.
Louise Anderson, Head of Place Development and Investment at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, described Redcar's ambition: to attract new industry, strengthen its town centre and revive its seaside offer, alongside opportunities linked to Teesworks.
Anne-Marie Bond, Chief Executive of Torbay Council, reflected on how Torbay moved from a project-by-project approach to a coordinated regeneration programme built around "The Torbay Story" and a shared vision for the future.
That point was reinforced by Chris Wheeler of Willmott Dixon Developments, who is supporting Torbay Council on its regeneration journey. He stressed that regeneration cannot rely on cookie-cutter solutions. Every place has its own history, challenges and aspirations, and those factors must shape the approach.
Turning insight into action
The workshop explored how data can help local authorities better understand the challenges facing their communities.
Nikki Davies, Chief Executive of Meeting Place, shared data highlighting inequalities across Redcar & Cleveland, including health outcomes, educational attainment and housing demand. However, the discussion quickly moved beyond the data itself to focus on how insight can be translated into action.
Participants agreed that data is only useful when it can be turned into clear messages that guide decisions and build support for change.
Community engagement was central to that discussion. Anne-Marie highlighted the role a dedicated communications function has played in supporting Torbay's regeneration ambitions, while initiatives such as the Champion Network demonstrate the value of sustained engagement rather than one-off consultations.
Understanding how people use places
The second part of the workshop focused on how data can inform investment decisions by providing a better understanding of visitor behaviour.
While Redcar already captures information on visitor numbers and dwell time, gaps remain around visitor spending patterns and overnight stays. These insights could play an important role in supporting future investment decisions.
Louise McWhirter, Associate Director at CACI, demonstrated how mobile location and consumer data can provide a richer picture of who is visiting a place and how they engage with it.
The findings highlighted opportunities to attract new visitor groups and increase spend within the local economy. Data also suggested that affluent households living relatively close to Redcar are currently underrepresented among visitors, presenting an opportunity for future tourism, consumer and hospitality strategies.
Torbay has used similar insights to help build confidence among investors and operators. As David Carter, Director of Regeneration at Torbay Council, noted during the discussion, the objective is not always to attract more visitors, but to encourage greater spend and generate stronger economic impact.
Data should support judgement, not replace it
Despite the focus on data, there was broad agreement that numbers alone cannot deliver successful regeneration.
Neil Shaw, Executive Director for Growth, Enterprise and Environment at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, observed that data often confirms what local authorities already know about their communities. Its value lies in challenging assumptions, filling knowledge gaps and strengthening decision-making.
Sheila Oxtoby, Chief Executive of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, made a similar point, stressing that understanding a place's unique identity and ambition must come before analysing the data.
For me, that captured the key message from the session. Start with a clear understanding of your place and the outcomes you want to achieve, then using robust data, confirm assumptions to underpin and strengthen the strategy.
When used effectively, data can reduce risk, improve confidence and support better decision-making. Most importantly, it can help ensure regeneration is shaped around the needs and aspirations of the people and communities it is designed to serve.