Victorian monastery to be sold off by council

A MONASTERY in Devon which once served as a beacon for seafarers returning to port in Torbay is up for grabs.

- GUY HENDERSON Local Democracy Reporter

Torbay Council has confirmed that it is trying to dispose of the huge Victorian building, off Berry Drive, because it would cost too much to repair.

The monastery belonged to the Catholic Order of Marist Fathers from 1883 until 1971, when the council took it over. Since then it has had a number of uses, including a family support centre and a food bank, but the local authority says it is now ready to get rid of it. No price has yet been set.

Cllr Cat Johns (Liberal Democrat, Clifton with Maidenway) raised the issue at a recent council meeting, asking what the authority was doing to bring the building back into use.