A new sheltered housing scheme promising to provide safe, stable accommodation for people with moderate learning disabilities has taken a huge step forward.

In what it says will be "a first" for a town council, Ivybridge has agreed to buy the former Devon County Council Butterpark care home and transform it into a hub for vulnerable people in the town.

Councillors and staff have spent months working on plans for the site after deciding they wanted to see it continue to have a public service role, rather than be sold off for open market housing. The town council’s proposals do include some homes for sale and private rent as well as six affordable ’rent-to-buy’ properties, but also crucially six units of accommodation for people in the town with moderate learning difficulties, and a learning and training house and garden area.

In drawing up its plans the town council has worked closely with The DOVE Project, an Ivybridge care and support organisation, and sheltered accommodation specialist Brook Housing. The latter would be responsible for managing the six sheltered housing units, which would be owned by the council, while the DOVE project would provide support to tenants.

The town council aims to ’future proof’ the accommodation by making it as technologically advanced as possible.

Before councillors voted to go ahead with the purchase of the site at their last meeting, town clerk Lesley Hughes said accommodation for people with learning disabilities was "a huge issue", and the plans meant some people would no longer have to rely on insecure private tenancies. She added it was crucial to make sure everything added up so there was not a financial risk to the town council, but she did not believe there was as appropriate professional guidance had been sought throughout.

The town council intends to borrow from the Public Works Loan Board and use Section 106 affordable housing contributions held by South Hams District Council to allow it to own the six flats. It estimates it would take between 10 and 20 years to repay the money.

Councillors thanked Ivybridge’s Devon county councillor Roger Croad for his help with the project. Afterwards, Cllr Croad said: "I think the potential for the Butterpark site to be developed into accommodation for people with moderate learning difficulties together with houses for rent on the same site represents all that is best in partnership working. County, district and town councils coming together with the third sector and private business to create a unique facility is something to be applauded.

"I was very pleased to be able to negotiate, with Devon County Council, a substantial discount on the current market value in order to make the scheme financially viable, and the town council should be congratulated in taking an innovative step towards providing this much needed facility for certain Ivybridge residents."

Mayor of Ivybridge Cllr David Gray-Taylor said: "Ivybridge Town Council is delighted to have the opportunity to work with a group of people who can sometimes feel marginalised, yet the DOVE project have been a part of the fabric of our town for many years undertaking a range of voluntary roles within the community.

"Through the purchase of Butterpark, and by working with our partners in the public, private and charitable sector, it gives us a chance to provide a mix of housing plus a learning/training hub which will evolve in the coming years. We are now starting work to deliver this scheme by 2019.”