Residents furious after resort’s famous ‘Golden Mile’ painted bright blue

Bright red and blue paint at a busy junction along Torbay Road on Paignton’s ‘Golden Mile’ (Image: DevonLive) Residents in one coastal town are furious after the council painted their town’s famous ‘Golden Mile’ bright blue. Residents of Paignton in Devon are expressing their fury after the local council painted part of the famous ‘Golden Mile’ in a vibrant shade of blue. The road measure, intended to enhance safety for motorists and pedestrians in the Garfield Road and Queens Road area, has sparked outrage among locals who compare it to a “swimming pool” or a “dance floor”. The unconventional colour scheme quickly became the subject of ridicule on social media platforms. In the town’s Facebook group, ‘Spotted Paignton’, residents voiced their discontent, labelling the project a “waste of money” and demanding an explanation from the council. The newly painted junction in Paignton (Image: DevonLive) Amidst the criticism, one resident remarked: “How lovely, can’t wait to get the chalk out and do some hopscotch.” Another resident said their daughter mistook the blue road for a playground. The comments continued to pour in with one saying: “Are they turning it into a water feature? Fountain in the middle?” Another said: “Big swimming pool. Draw some circles and we have our very own Ludo board!” Responding to the backlash, a spokesperson for Torbay Council explained the contrasting red and blue colours were chosen to improve clarity and safety at the junction. A spokesperson said: ‘With increased traffic at this junction, the surface contrast provides greater clarity for road users and pedestrians, ensuring all road users can use the space safely. “The red is to remind motorists as they approach the junction to slow down and think ‘should I be driving through here’ before proceeding to turn slowly at the junction. “The blue is to better define the carriage for pedestrians and to reflect some of the placemaking ambitions for a permanent scheme.’ This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up  Express.co.uk  ‘s editorial research. A news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to  readercomplaints@reachplc.com .