Murder house to be demolished

Villa's been anti-social hotspot too

A crime-hit house near Paignton seafront which was once the scene of a murder is to be demolished at last.

An old Victorian villa at 3 Keysfield Road will be redeveloped as 14 new apartments if members of Torbay council’s planning committee give the go-ahead when they meet on Monday.

Permission for the development was given in January, but Monday’s meeting is likely to rubber-stamp details on landscaping, trees and bat boxes.

The old villa became notorious when it was used as a house in multiple occupation. It had attracted anti-social behaviour for several years and was the scene of a murder in 2000. It was damaged in a fire, and police issued a closure order in 2010 following complaints from neighbours about the behaviour of residents including drug-taking and prostitution.

Now its troubled history could be coming to an end, with new apartments on its ‘spacious and tree-lined’ plot in its place. The building is a large detached Victorian villa dating from 1870, which is now said to be ‘in poor repair’.

It is within the Roundham and Paignton Harbour conservation area and is highlighted as a ‘key building of architectural importance’. There is also a tree preservation order on the site.

Applicant Keysfield Limited wants to retain mature trees on the boundaries of the plot and retain or create lawns. New trees and shrubs will be planted and nesting boxes and bricks will be provided for bats and swifts.