Former Bovey Tracey hotel moves toward residential use after ‘no reservations’ from council

Bovey Tracey Town Council has said it has no objections to plans for a former hotel in the town to become long-term rented accommodation. 

The decision was made at a meeting of the council’s Planning and Environment Committee earlier this week (Monday 8 December).

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Edgemoor Hotel in Lowerdown, now known as Edgemoor Manor, had been run as a hotel by owner Simon Crow and his wife since 2008, but the business struggled following the Covid pandemic. 

Attempts to sell the hotel as a going concern were unsuccessful, and Mr Crow told councillors that the impact of the pandemic had left the business unable to recover. 

Speaking about the prospect of trying to rebuild it, he said: “We could not do it again, we were exhausted.”

Mr Crow said staffing costs of £300,000 per year weren’t sustainable and that the new HMO arrangement had created homes with “an amazing community spirit going on”.

Since closing the hotel, Mr Crow has converted the building into nine en-suite letting rooms, most of which are now occupied, with residents sharing a large communal kitchen. 

An HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) licence was granted by Teignbridge District Council (TDC) in January 2025, but the council later informed Mr Crow that he also needed planning permission for a Change of Use.

Mr Crow told members he wanted to ensure the new arrangements were fully compliant and said he and his wife continued to live on site as “responsible HMO landlords.” 

He said the property now generated less traffic than the former hotel and that neighbours had raised no objections. 

The pottery studio run by Jeremy Leach, located on the grounds, is not affected by the changes.

An Edgemoor resident, Felix, spoke in support of the application, telling the meeting: “It’s just a great place to be. Simon’s a great landlord. It’s called home, really.”

Cllr Martyn Evans said he believed Mr Crow had been “let down” by TDC, saying that officers had not informed him early enough that the Change of Use permission was required, and added “I have no reservations at all.”

Councillors voted four in favour, with no objections and one abstention, and the planning application will now be decided by Teignbridge District Council.