Historic Paignton monastery is finally sold for £1
The old Monastery off Berry Drive had fallen into disrepair and looked set to be sold off as part of a clear-out of council assets when the local community stepped in
A historic building in Paignton has a bright new future after being sold for just one pound.
The old Monastery off Berry Drive had fallen into disrepair and looked set to be sold off as part of a clear-out of council assets when the local community stepped in.
With no community centre to serve the densely-populated Clifton with Maidenway area, local councillors and community leaders lobbied Torbay Council to hand over the keys to the monastery.
Now the deal has been done, but members of the Paignton Monastery Community Interest Company (CIC) have warned that the hard work is just beginning.
Cllr Cat Johns (Lib Dem, Clifton with Maidenway) said: “The whole process to purchase took almost 12 months but it’s far from over.
“The community may own the Monastery, but it needs to be made safe so we can use it. We need your help.”
The council’s cabinet approved the £1 sale last December, and council teams have been working closely with the CIC.
Council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) said: “This marks an exciting new chapter for this historic site and a real opportunity for it to become a thriving hub for local people.
“We recognised how passionate the local community was about protecting this much-loved building and seeing it put to positive use. I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work closely together to achieve an outcome that reflects the community’s vision and our responsibility to manage council assets responsibly.
“This is a really positive step forward for Paignton and community-led regeneration. I’m looking forward to seeing the monastery develop as a valued community asset.”
Once the work to make the site safe is completed, it will open in phases, with different areas becoming accessible to the public.
Cllr Johns said many people had tried to make the building a community asset in the past, including her late mother Ruth Pentney during her time as a councillor.
She said the hard work of the time behind the CIC had been enough to convince the council that they were ‘for real’ and wanted the Monastery for the people of Paignton.
The building first opened in June 1883, and has a cast iron statue known as The White Lady on its roof. This was illuminated at night to be used by skippers as a landmark on their way back to harbour.
In 1971 the Marist priests moved to London, and since then the monastery has been the Lions’ Club, Victim Support, Nightingales Children’s Project, a food bank and family support centre.
It closed in 2017 and the council voted to dispose of the building back in 2019. Suggested future uses have also included affordable housing. The building is not listed.
Now the CIC is asking for volunteers and donations to help continue the project. Details are on its Facebook page.
On Sunday August 16 the CIC is running a free community inauguration event to celebrate the return of the building to the local community. The event will run from 11am to 4pm, and will give visitors a chance to speak to directors and ask questions about the project as well as sharing their thoughts about the building’s future.
There will also be a chance to see the current condition of the building, in areas where there is access to do so safely.