Go-ahead for sofa surfer's 'unique' Dartmoor home

The plans were approved without objection

A sofa surfer with a plan to transform a redundant chapel on Dartmoor into an affordable home has been told his ideas are just what the moor needs.

Applicant Sinjun Saunders told members of the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) that he was the custodian of the old Methodist chapel at Crockernwell and he planned an "aesthetically pleasing" new home.

He said he was currently "sofa surfing" – staying with friends – but he and his partner would live in the new home which would have bird and bat boxes to care for local wildlife.

The concrete-block pebble-dash chapel was built in 1980 but closed due to falling numbers and an ageing population.

The former Methodist chapel was originally built in 1980

There were no objections to the plan and West Devon Borough Council's affordable housing team gave its support as did Drewsteignton Parish Council.

Supporters said it would help keep the village "vibrant and alive".

Mr Saunders agreed to a condition that the property should always be occupied by a local person who was in need of a home and could not afford the current market prices in the area.

DNPA director of spatial planning Dean Kinsella told the meeting the plan was "unique" and would not open the door for anyone with a derelict building on the moor.

"Every site is different," he said. "This is a single unique position."

Members voted unanimously to let Mr Saunders go ahead.

DNPA chairman Mark Dracup said: "This is exactly what Dartmoor needs."