OBJECTORS to plans to convert a Kingskerswell guest house into homeless accommodation fear the plan is a ‘done deal’.

Many were less than impressed by public information sessions held by Teignbridge Council officers to discuss the proposals for Harewood House in Torquay Road.

The property was purchased by the authority in March and an application to convert the former guesthouse into a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) has been made recently.

But the plans have sparked fury among neighbours and residents who claim they were forced to search for information themselves before finding out what the change of use was intended to be.

One resident said: ‘Despite the significant time delay from the purchase in March to announcing this public event in August, it has not silenced Kingskerswell residents from expressing their views which tend to be widely different to the sanitised version of the plans now on offer to the public.’

Concerned residents attended the meeting which was held over six hours.

One said he met the applicant who explained the increase in bedrooms from five to seven with a maximum of 17 people allocated to stay in the property once converted.

The neighbour said: ‘We thought the increase to 17 people all week was very different to a guest house with intermittent guests arriving, and was really overcrowding the building but this was brushed aside.

‘There is very little living space other than bedrooms so we thought this would drive many ‘guests’ outside onto a large decked area which backs onto our garden, creating noise and nuisance.’

He said he asked about supervision of the property and was told there would only be staff on duty during the day, not at night.

He said he was assured only Teignbridge homeless would be allocated to Harewood, some staying a few days, many a few months.

He added: ‘We talked to many arriving and departing and we all agreed it really was a waste of time as it was a done deal.’

Kingskerswell Parish Council has asked for the application to be decided by the planning committee and says it was not made aware of the exact nature of the proposal.

Teignbridge Council says its aim is to ‘reduce and mitigate costs’ of temporary accommodation and provide a better service to our homeless clients’.

A spokesman for the council said: ‘Over recent years the council has seen the number of residents needing extra support with accommodation increasing, mainly due to the lack of affordable housing.

‘We currently have two properties providing temporary accommodation for families, usually with children, but sometimes used for older people and those with disabilities.

‘They are always at capacity, and the only other option is often to place people in B&B-style accommodation out of the area.

‘B&B provision is not only costly to the council, but also unsuitable for children to live in accommodation without cooking and laundry facilities.

‘Subject to planning permission, the purchase of Harewood House means we will be able to help more people with their housing needs and allow them to continue living locally.’