A Devon council is set to award itself permission to build a block of badly-needed apartments on a busy town centre site.

Newton Abbot’s old bus station in Kingsteignton Road will be the location for 23 new social rent apartments in three and four-storey blocks, if Teignbridge Council says yes to its own application when it meets next week.

The development will be low-carbon, accessible to all and almost car-free. It is being created as part of ‘Teignbridge 100’, the council’s own homebuilding programme, and will be delivered at social rent.

The highest demand in Teignbridge is for one and two-bedroomed properties, which will be how the scheme is designed.

A percentage of the apartments will be offered to existing social housing tenants who want to downsize and free up much-needed larger family homes.

The council will give priority to applicants with a connection to Newton Abbot.

As a former bus station, it is a ‘brownfield’ site, which means housing is an acceptable use for it under planning regulations.

A report for the planning committee acknowledges that a council-owned car park, serving businesses in nearby Sherborne House, will be lost as result of the project. But it says alternative car parking is available nearby, as well as good public transport links.

Two letters of objection have been received, citing issues such as the height of the proposed blocks, ‘gaudy’ materials and colours and concern over noise and anti-social behaviour.