A DERELICT hotel could make way for a modern block of 21 flats in Winterbourne Road, Teignmouth.
The boarded-up Knoll Hotel has been vacant for a number of years and graffiti artists have got to work on scrawling on the property.
It is fenced off but windows have been smashed and rubbish dumped in the grounds. Now plans are under way to demolish the building and replace it with a three-storey modernist-inspired housing development.
Features include a satin finish silver roof and satin silver walling on the highest level. Balconies to make use of the seaside views will be blue-tint glazed.
There will be parking provision for 21 cars and bicycles. It comes after permission was granted last year for the change of use. But a radical change of design has meant a renewed application. The area has no conservation or listed building constraints for the new style build.
No affordable housing provision is made in the plans. Conversion of hotels into smart accommodation is a recent trend as properties become sought after in the seaside resort. Recent conversions include the town centre London Hotel and The Ivy House Hotel.
Planning officer Nick Davies said that there are policies in the local plan to protect holiday accommodation and the character of tourist areas. He said that those issues would have been considered when the original plans were submitted. But Teignmouth and District Hoteliers Association chairman Bob Bailey said that 'any hotel that planners allow to be turned into flats is a concern.
'People are visiting Teignmouth but they are having to go elsewhere for accommodation, they are coming from Dawlish Warren and Torquay. 'There is very little accommodation in Teignmouth,' he said. Though the Knoll Hotel has long since been disused, it does illustrate a trend in sought after areas, said Mr Bailey.
'It is not a case that people aren't making money in the trade but it is that they will make more by selling the property for development land rather than as a going concern. 'It is a major concern for those in the holiday trade but one could argue that on the other hand it can have a positive effect for those who are left behind. The applicant is Taunton-based Spraypoint properties. Plans have been drawn up by Colin Ritchie Architects in Torquay.