A descendant of the person who gifted Devoran with its village school in 1846 has urged the Diocese of Truro and Cornwall Council, not to let it be converted into private accommodation.

Andrew Williams is a descendant of Anna Maria Agar-Robartes, who gifted the Old School site to the parish in 1846.

He as written to the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Tim Thornton regarding the future use of the now disused school and yesterday met up with members of the Devoran Action Group who are hoping the school building can be turned into community use.

The action group traced the direct descendant and successor of the Agar Robartes family who originally gifted the building to the vicar and parishoners of St Feock to be used in perpetuity as a place of education.

The Diocese's along with Cornwall Council want to sell the old school for residential development and that, says Mr Williams would be contrary to the original gift of his family.

He says the old school should meet the continuing needs of the community as stated in the original Deed of Gift, a document held at the county records office and which reads: “To hold the same unto and to the use of the said Vicar and Churchwardens and their successors for the purposes of the said Act and upon trust to permit the said premises and all buildings thereon erected or to be erected to be forever hereafter appropriated and used as and for a School for the education of Children and Adults or children only of the labouring manufacturing and other poorer classes in the parish of Saint Feock aforesaid and as a residence for the Schoolmaster or Schoolmistress and for no other purpose.”

Mr Williams is the direct descendant of the Cornish Agar Robartes family who lived at Lanhydrock House.

Devoran Old School is ion the centre of the village and is jointly owned between Cornwall Council and the Diocese with a small percentage owned by the parish church.

A new school was opened on the outskirts of the village making the old building redundant.

Feock parish councillors have already agreed a planning statement document with the county council over possible planning proposals for the school which has been marketed in the region of £350,000.

DAG want to use the building for a variety of community uses, not least a pre-school, meeting rooms, museum and possibly a shop.