Devon council urged to halt demolition of historic mill buildings

Heritage groups call on Teignbridge district council to convert buildings in Newton Abbot rather than raze them

The wooded banks of the River Lemon, which tumbles through the town of Newton Abbot from the heights of Dartmoor, has long been a hive of activity, the site of corn and wool mills and tanneries that have employed thousands over the centuries.

But demolition crews are about to move in to clear a collection of mill buildings and make way for housing despite an outcry from local people and from national conservation organisations, who argue the historic structures should be saved and re-purposed.