A senior council official has warned that refuges for homeless people will be needed in West Devon for years to come.

Isabel Blake, head of West Devon Borough Council’s housing department, said the authority had already found temporary accommodation for 31 single people and 15 families this year.

She said homeless people were being given temporary accommodation in properties outside West Devon in areas such as Plymouth and Torbay and warned that because of a mounting housing crisis engulfing the borough, people were staying in temporary homes for longer and longer periods.

Mrs Blake was speaking as the council’s development management and licensing committee gave itself conditional planning permission to demolish numbers one and two Springhill in Tavistock, which were used as accommodation for homeless people, but it now said not to be fit for purpose. Officials want to replace it with a purpose-built unit for the same use. The property is owned by the borough council.

The council has faced criticism over the plan because of conservation issues and potential traffic problems, although the project, which would replace nine units with 11, has been backed by Tavistock Town Council.

Officials say the scheme would use material from the demolished building to ensure it is in keeping with surrounding properties.

The plan comes as councillors have been told that more people have been forced into temporary accommodation because landlords of rented property are selling them, some to convert them into airbnbs.

Mrs Blake: ‘We are facing a huge housing challenge in the borough and finding temporary accommodation for local people is getting tougher and tougher and consequently stays in temporary accommodation are getting longer and longer. Springhill and accommodation like it will sadly be needed for a number of years.’

She said the scheme would benefit hundreds of people and if a landlord was selling up, it would allow people to keep their children in local schools and for them to stay in their jobs.

A report to the committee said: ‘The flats at Springhill have been used for a significant number of years as self-contained, temporary accommodation for homeless households with a connection to West Devon.

‘Since its closure the council has relied upon expensive holiday accommodation and bed and breakfasts at significant cost to the public purse to fulfil its homeless duties. Often this accommodation is out of the borough or in remote locations where public transport is scarce. This displacement of families can be very traumatic for children, who often are placed far away from their schools, extended families and support networks, this is in addition to the reality of being homeless.

‘It is unlawful to use bed and breakfast accommodation for families for any longer than six weeks and in an emergency. This provision would enable the council to discharge its duties to homeless households helping them to remain in the locality where they can access their healthcare and education needs for themselves and their families.

By demolition and redesigning our building at Springhill we can repurpose to offer accommodation to both single people and families alike while offering them privacy and security. ‘