The Country Inn planned at Teign Valley Golf Club (Image courtesy Lewandowski Architects/Dartmoor National Park Authority)
‘This is refreshing’
The guardians of Dartmoor have given their blessing to a massive makeover for a golf club inside the national park.
The owners of Teign Valley Golf Club at Christow asked for permission to cut their course from 18 holes to a 12-hole pay-to-play course, adding padel and pickleball courts, a revamped clubhouse and 16 ‘eco cabin’ holiday pods.
Members of the Dartmoor National Park Authority’s development control committee heard that the plans went beyond the scope of the local plan, and there were some concerns over traffic, light pollution and the effect of the new complex on nearby historic sites.
But Sally Morgan told fellow members: “This is refreshing. There is always going to be some harm with any kind of development, but the benefits here far outweigh the disbenefits of doing nothing, and this business potentially falling by the wayside.”
A report to the committee said that the club was not viable in its current form and would be likely to close altogether if it did not make radical changes. The course has been closed to golfers since the end of October 2024.
The meeting heard that some areas of the existing course would be ‘rewilded’, and there would be a huge gain for local biodiversity. The development would create up to 70 jobs for local people.
A planning officer’s report to the committee said the long-term viability of the business depended on diversifying facilities.
Of the 107 letters received by the authority about the plan, 86 were in support.
Some members of the committee were concerned that they were being asked to make a decision while the public consultation was still in progress, but chair Caroline Mott assured them that the plan could still be brought back to the committee again if necessary.
Mrs Morgan went on: “Golf is aimed at one recreation for a small number of people.
“What we see here is a diversification, something that is reducing a wildlife desert and providing different types of recreation for a wider community.”
And Will Dracup added: “It is really good to see an application that will help stimulate the local economy and supports what we are trying to do with the environment.”
However, Michael Fife Cook questioned the design of the ‘eco-cabins’ which will be spread out among trees on the hillside.
“They remind me a bit of a prison camp,” he said. “I would have hoped for something prettier!”
