Monastery bought for £1 to become community hub

A former monastery, bought by a community group for £1, needs significant work before it can reopen to the public say its owners.

The Paignton Monastery Community Interest Company (CIC) said the building needed to be made safe before it could be used as a community centre.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the purchase had taken almost a year to complete and the group was now asking for volunteers and donations to help fund the next stage of the project.

Adam Corkill, a director of Paignton Monastery CIC, said they wanted it to be a safe, welcoming space, and hoped the community would use it as their hub.

Cat Johns, who represents Clifton with Maidenway, said the community now owned the building but "the hard work" was only beginning.

The council's cabinet approved the £1 sale in December and had worked with the community group to complete the deal.

Corkill added: "We're very much open to what the community wants us to do with the building."

Council leader, David Thomas, 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."

The building opened in 1883 and had previously been used by organisations including the Lions' Club, Victim Support, Nightingales Children's Project, a food bank and family support centre before closing in 2017.

The group said it planned to open the building in phases once safety work was completed and it was to hold a free community event on Sunday 16 August, where people could discuss its future.

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