Dartmouth Town Council has welcomed the sale of the former Dartmouth and Kingswear Community Hospital site but expressed disappointment that the social value it had hoped to secure has not materialised.

The hospital, which sits on the embankment overlooking the River Dart, was sold at auction on Thursday, May 9, following previous failed attempts. The property had been re-listed in September 2024 with a guide price of around £1.5 million, after a preferred bidder pulled out in January.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust confirmed the sale was made "on the open market" but did not disclose the final sale price. Proceeds will now help to fund the £5.4 million Dartmouth Health and Wellbeing Centre, which opened in May 2023.

While the council said it was pleased to see progress and the potential for the site to be put to good use, it voiced frustration that several years of work to deliver community benefit through the sale had been undermined by factors such as economic turbulence and planning complications.

Mayor of Dartmouth, Cllr Andrea Cates, said: “The sale of the old hospital site is a pivotal moment for Dartmouth. While it’s disheartening that the social value we envisioned hasn’t been realised yet, we are optimistic about the future. The council is ready to work with the new owners to ensure that this development delivers meaningful benefits for our community. Dartmouth deserves nothing less.”

Cllr Hayley Rossiter, Chair of the Social Value Working Group, added: “Social value has always been at the heart of our vision for the old hospital site. Although setbacks have occurred, our resolve to bring positive change to Dartmouth remains undiminished.”

The council said it intends to work with the new owners to help ensure the development aligns with the town’s needs and incorporates community benefits into its plans.

The Trust said they are respecting the buyer’s request to not be named and confirmed it would publish the sale figure in its annual accounts.