Northbrook Golf Course to be turned into countryside park

Plans from City Council and Wildlife Trust discussed next week.

Devon Wildlife Trust and Exeter City Council have put forward a joint proposal to convert the land into a countryside ‘park’ which represents a tranquil, wildlife rich, greenspace, and aim for 100,000 people to visit the park each year.

When they meet next week, the city council’s executive are being recommended to approve a public consultation on the vision for the former golf course site.

David Bartram, Director, in his recommendation, says a partnership between the City Council and Devon Wildlife Trust, to consult with local residents and community groups on a vision for the area as a ‘Wild Arboretum’, is the best way to progress.

It adds: “The Northbrook Approach site occupies a crucial strategic location which links two of the city’s most significant greenspaces, Ludwell and Riverside. The site performs a critical function for the movement of wildlife and it also represents a potential natural infrastructure connection for people to move between parks and could provide trafficfree routes into the Quayside areas, Marsh Barton and the city centre beyond.

“A wide range of organisations have indicated their interest in the future of the land. A joint approach by Exeter City Council and Devon Wildlife Trust will ensure that communities are placed at the heart of future decisions regarding this important space.”

The proposal document, to be considered by the executive, outlines how Exeter City Council and Devon Wildlife Trust will work in partnership to develop a vision for the Northbrook site, secure support and engender pride from a wide range of stakeholders and attract potential sources of new funding from commercial sponsorship, grant making bodies, to charitable trusts, and that there is overwhelming support for the area to be developed for quiet recreation in a wildlife rich setting.

The vision for the former Northbrook Approach site includes:

• ‘Wild arboretum’ – the tree studded parkland would be enriched with wildflowers and newly planted standard trees
• Community orchard – orchard trees provide fruit for local communities to harvest.
• Wilding the Northbrook – new wetlands, ponds and pools would provide space for people to access the water’s edge and observe the range of wildlife supported
• Linking greenspaces – DWT would manage the site to enhance its critical role as a crucial green corridor between the Ludwell and Riverside Valley Parks, and as a pivotal link for people to enjoy these local greenspaces and to explore further afield.
• A Hub for learning and communities – the Riverside and Ludwell Masterplan identified the need for visitor hubs at both Riverside and Ludwell and DWT and ECC have begun to discuss options for siting a flagship visitor facility at Riverside.

The vision document adds: “Without the constraints of a golf course there is an opportunity to bring the parkland to life as a stunning space for visitors to enjoy and to interact with wildlife.

“DWT proposes to create a high carrying capacity site where we would establish new all-weather pathways and trails to help people to explore the whole site, include benches and pause points where people can gather, play, or simply enjoy the scenery.

“We would introduce natural play, establish wildflower meadows amongst the trees to provide stunning displays and to help many more insects and pollinators to thrive, and plant and nurture new trees and orchards to support many more species for the long term, and encourage people to enjoy the blossom and pick the fruit.”

On the visitor hub idea, the document says: “The key driver for this is the huge potential at Riverside to draw visitors from around the city as well as beyond, to connect with the nearby historic Quayside and activity hub at Haven Banks, and to open up the Riverside Valley Park as a flagship greenspace for natural activity and leisure.

“Refreshment facilities at Bromham’s Farm Field would enable visitors to stay longer and do more in this special place, and we would provide trails, leisure facilities, natural play and opportunities for outdoor pursuits on and around an enhanced wetland site on the Exe River and Canal banks. We would aim for around 100,000 visitors each year.”

The vision concludes: “The Northbrook Approach site presents a fantastic opportunity to establish, enhance and safeguard a crucial natural infrastructure corridor in the city and it holds the key to unlocking the greatest potential of the two largest Valley Parks, Riverside and Ludwell.

“With these two greenspaces under DWT management and with discussions underway between ECC and DWT about proposals for visitor facilities at Riverside, this is a perfect opportunity to work together to develop a proposal for the future of this strategically crucial site.

“We propose to work in partnership to engage a diverse range of communities and stakeholders in the local area about the potential for the site as a Wild Arboretum and a community space.”

Proposals initially revealed early in 2019 would have seen the golf course closed and the land disposed of, but in June, Cllr Phil Bialyk, leader of the council, reversed that decision.

He said: “It has become evidently clear that the people of Exeter value this site as an open space and they certainly don’t want us to dispose of it, so we have made the decision to end that worry of people.

“We are not going to dispose of the site and we are not going to put it up for housing. We recognise that the Northbrook area is an open green space valued by all of us in our city, and should the Council ever need to consider alternative uses for any of this site we will consult in detail with local residents well in advance.”

Councillors in July agreed that the Northbrook Golf Course site would not be sold for development, but that its future would not be for golf, after only one per cent of people who responded to the Built Leisure Facilities proposals said that they used the Northbrook Golf Course.