Some of the first new council housing delivered directly by Torbay Council in a generation is now ready for local people to move in to before Christmas.

The 14 modern, energy-efficient and sustainable one- and two-bedroom apartments have been created as part of the redevelopment of the former Brampton Court Hotel in Torquay.

The project to convert the building, renamed Brampton House, was led by Bramcourt Ltd with architectural design by Co Create Architects and construction carried out by Armada Property (UK).

It is the first scheme completed under our innovative 'Hotels to Homes' programme and the property has now been handed over to us.

Armada worked hard to convert the disused building into bespoke, high-quality homes in less than nine months from securing planning permission, using many local suppliers and a workforce of up to 50, mostly from Torbay and South Devon. During the project, Armada moved its HQ from Teignmouth to Torquay as a sign of its commitment to the area.

The new apartments will be let at social rents to local households, and the first tenants are expected to move in before Christmas.

Environmentally friendly improvements to the building include high quality insulation, solar panels and energy efficient boilers.

All apartments have been given an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of B. This signifies a very good level of energy efficiency and results in lower energy bills. 

Such a high level of thermal efficiency is very challenging to achieve in a converted building, but this means that the building will be preserved for many years into the future, as well as ensuring that homes are cost effective to live in over time.

Our 'Hotels to Homes' scheme is one of the ways we are increasing the delivery of social housing in Torbay. The programme involves re-purposing small, prominent and under-used brownfield sites in the Bay such as unviable former hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.

We have led the way on creating and implementing the 'Hotels to Homes' scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in England to specifically convert former hotel accommodation for this purpose.

The innovative programme will help to prove that such sites have an important role to play in meeting local need, as well as contributing to growth and regeneration in Torbay.

We aim to deliver a number of similar brownfield redevelopments over the coming years. As well as providing much-needed new affordable housing, it helps protect our greenfield sites from development and supports the regeneration of the Bay. It also prevents disused buildings attracting anti-social behaviour and becoming a blight on neighbourhoods.

Cllr Alan Tyerman, Cabinet Member for Housing and Finance, said: "It is fantastic to see the scheme complete. This is the result of months and months of hard work between the team at Armada and our in-house development team, and I would like to offer my thanks to all those who have worked so hard to preserve this building and bring it back to life as social housing. 

"What has been achieved is excellent and proves that we can deliver the homes we need and protect our precious green spaces. I am very much looking forward to welcoming our first residents into their new homes. It is a wonderful Christmas present for them, and a significant milestone as we deliver on our ambition to provide more affordable homes in Torbay."

The first 'Hotels to Homes' project at Brampton House has been supported by grant funding from the UK Government and Homes England.

We have acquired the second site for the programme, at the former Seabury Hotel in Torquay, and we are currently working up plans for development which is expected to start construction in mid-2026.  Considerable work is also underway to identify the next sites for the programme for future years.

Completion of the first 'Hotels to Homes' project at Brampton House marks a step-change in approach to directly tackle Torbay's housing crisis.  Our Housing Delivery Plan aims to ensure there will be more good quality, affordable and permanent properties that local households can call home.

Together the schemes will increase the number of properties we own, strengthening our ability to provide stable homes and brighter futures for local people.

We have been working with local construction and development-industry partners wherever possible. This helps to retain much of the financial investment within Torbay and supports a strong and sustainable economy with a diverse mix of industries and jobs.

The new homes at Brampton House are being allocated through Devon Home Choice to households that can prove a local connection to Torbay.  In this instance, priority will also be given to households that are working permanently within Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.