Plans to sell Victorian canal house scrapped

The Moorings currently houses offices for canal rangers and classrooms

A Victorian property on Tiverton's Grand Western Canal has been removed from a council's disposals list.

Plans to sell the canal house, known as The Moorings, was one of 14 being discussed by Devon County Council's land and property committee because it said a large amount of money was needed to improve it.

Members of the committee met on Friday and voted in favour of an amendment tabled by Tiverton East Councillor Colin Slade to withdraw the building from the list of potential disposals.

Slade said he was "delighted" with the outcome and was "very aware of concerns" held by the committee and local residents.

'Loss to Tiverton'

He said: "As chair of the Grand Western Canal Joint Advisory Committee, I was very aware of the concerns of committee members and local residents of the adverse impact this could have on the canal ranger service."

He said removal of the building would have a "very detrimental effect on the award-winning" country park "and a loss to the people of Tiverton".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the council believed the property dated back to the canal's heyday in the mid-1800s.

It said it would have been used to house workers in what would have been a "very busy wharf and lime kiln complex".

The property currently provides the canal ranger service's offices, a meeting room, two classrooms downstairs and moorings for workboats and sea cadet boats, the council said.

It added the garden contained three purpose-built dipping ponds used by school groups on ranger-led visits.