Bovey Tracey holiday homes plan rejected

The owners of Tracey House retirement home on the outskirts of Bovey Tracey told Teignbridge Council’s planning committee they had tried without success to sell the business. Instead, they now wanted to create six units for holidaymakers.

Plans to convert a disused care home on the edge of Dartmoor into half a dozen holiday lets have been thrown out.

The owners of Tracey House retirement home on the outskirts of Bovey Tracey told Teignbridge Council’s planning committee they had tried without success to sell the business.
Instead, they now wanted to create six units for holidaymakers.
But the committee heard that Bovey Tracey Town Council opposes the plan, and local people want permanent homes there rather than holiday lets.
The 23-bed care home closed in 2023. Owner George Zakrzewski said it had become increasingly hard to keep it going since the pandemic, and he and his wife wanted to retire.
Tracey House is on the road leading out of Bovey Tracey towards Haytor, and Mr Zakrzewski said “It is an obvious location for holiday accommodation.”
He said traffic and noise would be no worse than it had been when the building was a care home. “Devon is a holiday area,” he added.
However, neighbour Ben Mayo said there had been more than 100 objections, including that of the town council. “It’s a lost opportunity to provide what the town wants and needs, which is housing.”
He said applying for holiday homes is ‘regressive’ and ‘out of kilter’ with current thinking on second and holiday homes.
“These should be permanent homes for people who will invest in our community and become neighbours and friends,” he said.
Officers told the committee that the application complied with council policy, and councillors were recommended to pass it, but members said they had concerns about the loss of accommodation for local elderly people and the suitability of holiday homes.
Cllr David Palethorpe (Lib Dem, Ipplepen) added: “I think we should give particular attention to the fact that the town council has objected to it. I think that should carry a great deal of weight.”
And Cllr Janet Bradford (Independent, College) stressed: “I think we should be listening to the people of Bovey Tracey.”