North Devon councillors have voted to keep a well-used pitch and putt course in Ilfracombe after a plan to turn it into a nature area drew local opposition.
The council spends more on maintaining Larkstone Pitch and Putt than it receives in rent, and officers had suggested reclaiming the site for biodiversity. The site has meadows, mown paths, picnic spots and wild areas, and could attract funding from Natural England under a stewardship scheme. Officers said the land would be used as an addition to the buffer strip around Hillsborough, one of North Devon ’s most designated sites, and would complement the existing meadow next to Ilfracombe Swimming Pool.
Council Vote Saves Ilfracombe Pitch and Putt