A LENGTHY battle to save a crumbling historic Dawlish property has taken a major step forward.

The Old Vicarage in Weech Road has been in a ruined state for many years but now the Grade II listed structure has been bought by a developer.

The vicarage has been empty for decades and had been the subject of an ongoing saga over its future.

Despite being in a ‘critical’ dilapidated state, it has been bought by property developers Momentum Estates.

According to Vicarage Residents Group, which has been leading the fight to save the property from ruin, the developer has disclosed 'very sympathetic' plans to bring it back to life.

Believed in part to date back go the late 17th century, the building was bought by Great Western Railway in 1939 and converted into flats.

Since the last occupant left in 2000, it has suffered significant deterioration.

Vicarage Residents Group chairman Mary Nook said they were delighted the property is under new ownership.

She said there was a ‘sympathetic and in keeping scheme’ planned for the site which would ‘respect the historical value, but bring it back to life after decades of sheer neglect’.

Teignbridge Council has confirmed had been in discussion with ‘interested parties’ over the future of the Old Vicarage, and has provided advice and assistance which ‘we hope will provide a sustainable future for the site’.

Historic England said it had an initial meeting with the developer last year where he set out his plans for the Old Vicarage.

Generally ‘supportive’ of the ‘aspiration to bring these important buildings back into beneficial use’, it advised any approach to its repair and redevelopment would need to be informed by advice and guidance from heritage building specialists.

Ms Nook said: ‘I’ve been working tirelessly behind the scenes trying to bring everything together, negotiating with all key parties.

'I put forward to the new developer the main sticking points about the Vicarage and why previous plans never worked, gave the idea of what could possibly be achieved and thankfully the developer replied and came to meet me at the site to discuss further.

‘It’s taken some time to get the place under new ownership but thankfully this has recently changed hands.

‘I hope through my dedication, hard work and tactics used to save an important historical building from despair, which was not seeing any forthcoming positive solutions, will now be an inspiration for Teignbridge Council and Historic England to help save any other historical buildings from ruin.

'Before long I hope to see an application submitted that will get permission swiftly from Teignbridge Council and supported by Historic England, and for the Vicarage to be the talk of the town for all the right reasons once and for all.’

The Vicarage was a 17th-century cob building built on tall sandstone footings with a Victorian limestone extension built in 1850, and a smaller brickwork extension to the north, believed to be from the late 1800s, that serves as the entrance.