A food bank in an East Devon town will be retained even though the former boys’ school where it is located will be turned into three homes.
The Victorian, gothic-style building on Ottery St Mary’s Yonder Street, is to be refurbished as part of plans to create three apartments.
But the proposal, which was approved by East Devon District Council’s planning committee this week, will involve maintaining a space for the food bank.
Run by Ottery Larder it opens for between two and four hours a day, seven days a week, and its organisers wanted to stay in the building following completion of the conversion because the location is accessible to its customers.
Use of part of the building as a food bank or alternative community purpose is a condition of planning permission.
Dean Stewart, a director of Ottery Larder and who is also the chief executive of Citizens Advice East Devon, said it helps around 500 people a week.
“The space offered after construction is about a quarter of what we currently have so we will keep the food bank there, but other aspects of our service, such as handing out free clothing for children and life skills workshops, might have to move somewhere else in the town,” he said.
“We will be finding somewhere for all our services to be located during the work to change the former boys’ school, and we’ll be launching a campaign to find somewhere soon, but the food bank aspect will return to Yonder Street once the conversion works are complete.”
The former school is a listed building and is considered to have community value in the neighbourhood plan.
But planners decided that because the council is behind its government housing targets, turning the property into housing is acceptable.
As part of the works to create the homes, two floors will be inserted into the building, and an extension at the rear of the property will be replaced with a high quality version, but made narrower but deeper.
Ten parking spaces will be included, which will be for both residents and users of the food bank.
The committee voted in favour of the proposal, with just one member voting against.
Councillors noted it would be beneficial for the building to be used and that the refurbishment would help ensure its longevity.
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