FED-UP residents living near a derelict eyesore are holding a special meeting tomorrow evening, Friday, to discuss what can be done, and have invited Teignbridge and County councillors to the meeting to hear the committee’s complaints.

The Grade II listed Old Vicarage in Weech Road, Dawlish, has lain empty for nearly a quarter century, and is gradually collapsing. One wing has already fallen down and it continues to fall into decline. 

Believed in part to date back to the late 17th century, the property was bought by GWR in 1939 and converted into flats. In 1970 it was sold to the first of a series of developers and the last two occupants left their flats in 2000.

Up until the start of the Second World War it would have been a rather grand home for the vicar of St Gregory’s but now it has fallen prey to vandals and lies surrounded by an overgrown area. The property now has been fenced off.

Now town councillor Carole Tamlyn and the local residents’ committee have had enough. Cllr Tamlyn said something must be done: ‘The ownership is complicated and Teignbridge is not communicating with the residents’ committee. Nearby property prices are being affected by its state.

‘We have therefore arranged a meeting on Friday, January 20 at the Swan Inn, Weech Road, at 7pm.’

Committee member Paul Perkin said: ‘The objective of the meeting is for the committee to ask the local Teignbridge councillors to raise the case at TDC get answers to some pressing questions on the state of the buildings -– both legal and planning application. 

‘It’s time a solution is found, the current demise and decay started in the 1970s, so we think 50 years is long enough.’

It’s believed the property is now owned by the Crown after the company previously oning it was dissolved. Now an application –, 20/01514/LBC, submitted by Sterling Property Developments, to Teignbridge planners calls for a partial demolition of the property, approximately one third, which has been left to ruin.

The application proposes a repair of the Gig House, removal of the cob storey and roof of a section of the Old Vicarage building, demolition of the extension on the north elevation and restoration of the Victorian Wing as a single dwelling house and formation of a walled garden attached to the restored Victorian Wing

Many comments on the planning portal support the application saying they fear someone could be injured by falling debris and the property is a refuge for vermin. 

Others have accused Teignbridge of neglecting their powers to enforce repairs before the state of the building deteriorated to a point where it could be considered beyond repair.

Historic England has objected to the current proposals, saying: ‘This is a long running case, which was most recently dismissed at appeal in 2019. The current application again seeks to demolish the cob range and conversion of the Victorian range to a single residential dwelling. Historic England considers that the loss of the cob range would result in substantial harm to the significance of the building.’

Mr Perkin said: ‘It is well documented that the residents are unhappy and have been for a number of years at Teignbridge Planning Department failure to conclude the current application and rejection of previous applications and as a result, we are left with a decaying dangerous unsightly building to live beside. 

‘At present, we have an eight-ft high hoarding surrounding the plot which borders Weech Road and around to Vicarage Gardens, this butts up to one of the houses in the cul de sac.

‘All the planning applications had been passed by Dawlish Town Council before moving onto the higher authority of Teignbridge Council. It is at this point the applications have rejected except the current one which is still undecided after two years. 

‘In the meantime the house has fallen into the Crown Estate further complicating the situation. The house was owned by Safebright Properties which was dissolved by Companies House earlier this year.

‘We urgently require a solution to this stalemate. We cannot go on with continued excuses like “we expect a solution in coming months” – it just will not wash any longer. 

‘It is accepted that the house may well be subject to company dissolution and thus now owned by the Crown, but Teignbridge have to have a forward plan and we as the surrounding residents have a right to know what that is.’