'Why we shut down the Torquay seafront pitch-and-putt'

Council defends decision to axe Torre Abbey golf course

Torbay Council has defended its decision to shut down a popular pitch-and-putt golf course.

The nine-hole course on council land on Torquay seafront in front of Torre Abbey and the Spanish Barn has been axed, with damage caused to the barn roof by wayward golf shots cited as one of the main reasons.

But more than 1,100 people have signed an online petition complaining about the decision, with one describing the closure as a ‘scandal’.

Campaigner Margaret Forbes-Hamilton asked why the public hadn’t been consulted on the closure, which had been set in motion back in April.

Cllr Jackie Thomas (Con, Kings Ash), cabinet member for tourism, culture and events, said the council didn't need to consult because it is the landlord for the site.

“The decision was not made on a whim,” she said. “This is a good news story. It’s all about giving the site back to the community.”

In January a report from council officers highlighted damage done to the roof, and said the council should decide if golf was still the most appropriate use for the land.

The whole 18-acre site of Torre Abbey is a Scheduled Monument, the highest designation available and the same as that held by Stonehenge.

The best-preserved monastic ruins in Devon and Cornwall are there, much of them below the surface.

But Ms Forbes-Hamilton said it was ‘totally unacceptable’ that the decision to close the golf course had been taken behind closed doors with no consultation.

“The pitch and putt is valued by visitors and residents,” she said. “It is accessible, affordable and family-friendly. To remove one of the few remaining tourist attractions on the seafront will have a significant negative impact on surrounding businesses.”

She said the council received £12,000 a year from the lease on the golf course, and closing it would leave it with no guaranteed future income and a long-term maintenance commitment instead.

It would be more sensible, she said, to repair the Spanish Barn roof.

Cllr Thomas said in future the area could be landscaped and improved, with the option to host large events.

“Not just a few people are going to use this site,” she said. “It is going to be opened up so many people can use it.”