Second ‘Hotels to Homes’ scheme set to boost social housing in Torbay

Torbay Council has announced it will deliver more social housing in Torquay through its Hotels to Homes programme, with the site of the former Seabury Hotel on Manor Road set to be redeveloped.

The scheme is part of a multi-million-pound initiative aimed at converting or redeveloping former hotels and guest houses to help address the local housing shortage.

Planning consent is already in place for 14 homes on the Seabury site, which will be made available at social rent to people with a local connection to Torbay. Social rents are typically lower than market rates, making them more affordable for people living and working in the area.

This is the second project under the Hotels to Homes programme, following the council’s acquisition of the former Brampton Court Hotel in November 2024. It is also the third social housing scheme currently being developed by the council, alongside the construction of 23 homes for older people at the former St Kilda care home in Brixham.

The Seabury Hotel building is in a poor condition and will be demolished by local contractors ahead of construction. Residents will be invited to view and comment on emerging proposals for the site.

The council has indicated the new homes could support key local employers, including the NHS, by improving access to affordable housing for staff.

The Hotels to Homes programme was developed to address both the housing crisis and the issue of derelict buildings across the Bay. Empty or run-down properties have been linked to anti-social behaviour and are often seen as a blight on neighbourhoods.

By prioritising brownfield land, the programme also aims to protect greenfield sites and lower the environmental impact of new housing delivery.

Cllr Alan Tyerman, Cabinet Member for Housing and Finance, said: “We are committed to tackling the housing crisis in Torbay by pushing on with the delivery of social housing for local people in housing need.

“Our innovative Hotels to Homes scheme helps us to build the right homes in the right places, ideally located for access to local employment and services. Sites are acquired to either refurbish and convert into self-contained homes, or as with this case, demolish derelict buildings ready for new-build housing.

“I am delighted that we have acquired this site for our growing programme of ‘council housing’. We are working hard to understand how we can make the most of this opportunity to deliver well-designed, high quality new homes that will benefit the people of Torbay.

“The acquisition of the two schemes so far is evidence of our commitment to make a real difference to people’s lives by taking action to increase the number of homes for social rent.

“I look forward to seeing the new scheme at Seabury take shape and hope the community will support and embrace the delivery of these much-needed new homes on a disused brownfield site for our local people.”

The Hotels to Homes initiative forms a key part of the council’s broader housing delivery strategy.

Sam Irving, Head of Strategic Housing and Delivery at Torbay Council, said: “It’s exciting to now develop a second site that we hope will help key local employers attract and retain staff in Torbay.

“We often hear that the high cost of private rented and open market housing for sale is a barrier to economic prosperity and sustainability, and we hope that this scheme will contribute to addressing these issues.

“I’m grateful to our partners at Trowers and Hamlins and Bailey Partnership who worked so hard with our specialist in-house team to get this acquisition across the line.

“And I’m looking forward to engaging with the local community as our plans emerge on how to bring the site back to life.

“We are working on proposals to create a financially sustainable social housing programme and we are looking for opportunities to expand Hotels to Homes throughout Torbay.

“I would encourage landowners or developers with similar brownfield sites to reach out to us, to see if there might be an opportunity to use these to provide more much-needed social housing for local people.”