There's been a dramatic development in the ongoing story of Dawlish's derelict Old Vicarage – part of the building has collapsed.

One resident of Weech Road said he was woken up by the noise of the falling debris last Wednesday night (June 10), and later saw that part of the Victorian wing of the building had come down.

Devon Building Control have visited the site and said there's no imminent risk to public safety, but Teignbridge District Council are now looking into the options for the building.

The council's conservation officer has contacted the Old Vicarage Action Group, saying she would be happy to attend a meeting with them to discuss the way forward.

The action group has welcomed this approach, having said they had been excluded from past talks on the eyesore building that they have had to live near for decades, and their requests for meetings with council officials had been ignored.

Read more here.

Last December, the district council served two notices on the owner of the Old Vicarage, who lives in London, requiring him to carry out urgent works, including the propping up of unsupported parts of the house.

The action group says some remedial work has been carried out on the Gig House – the coach house belonging to the vicarage. The owner had applied for planning permission to repair that building, as part of his application to redevelop the site and bring the house back into use for residential occupation. This application has not yet been decided, but is strongly supported by local residents and Dawlish Town Council.

However, it's understood that the owner didn't comply with the rest of the emergency work to prop up the unsupported structures.

No date has been set for the meeting between the Weech Road residents and the district council's conservation officer. But, with the building now clearly needing something to be done to prevent further damage, and the district council saying they want to secure a viable future for it, the action group are now hoping there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Read more about the history of the Old Vicarage, and the proposals for redeveloping it,