Sea anglers base could be turned into flats

The three-storey building in Cliff Road, Paignton, is up for sale

A waterfront building in Devon could provide homes for young people.

The three-storey building on Cliff Road, Paignton, has been used as a base by the Paignton Sea Anglers Association for the last 40 years.

Earlier this year the association said its membership had declined and put the building up for sale with a guide price of £550,000.

At a meeting set for next week, Torbay Council's planning committee will see a proposal from the YMCA to turn it into two flats and a maisonette to be used as affordable housing.

The flats will be for single occupancy and the maisonette will be occupied by six individuals sharing a living room, kitchen and toilet while having individual en-suite bedrooms.

The property would be run by YMCA Exeter and would be operated as supported accommodation for young people between 18 and 25 with a direct connection to Torbay, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A total of 36 objections have been received from local people for reasons including potential anti-social behaviour, noise, disturbance and impact on Paignton’s Holocaust Memorial Garden and Burma Star Garden, both of which are alongside the property.