DISUSED tennis courts in Torrington are to become a new £348,000 multi-use playzone run by Torridge District Council’s leisure arm Active Torridge after planning permission was granted.

The site at Bests Lane, next to Torrington Football Club, will be available for everything from yoga classes to netball.

The council’s planning committee gave unanimous approval to the scheme which is being funded with cash from the Football Foundation (75 per cent) and the remainder from partners and Torridge District Council itself and is one of two playzones planned for the district – the other being in Holsworthy.

Members heard that the local school’s artificial training pitch was taken up with football matches during the winter months and there was no other outdoor facility in the town for clubs.

Concerns were raised by three members of the public over potential noise and lack of parking on site.

Officers said that an acoustic fence would be erected prior to use to protect the amenity of residents living closest to the 30-metre x 20-metre playzone and three metre high perimeter fencing and eight metre high floodlights would be erected – two metres higher than the former tennis court floodlights.

Active Torridge will manage the playzone and take bookings. Members were told that it would also be available for free play and not just clubs and bookings would be between 8am and 9pm.

Councillors approved a condition that will see the wider area around the playzone also be enhanced.

Torridge District Council had to put an extra £38,000 in the playzones projects after costs escalated and dropped one of the initial three schemes at Pollyfield at East-the-Water after local opposition and concerns over viability.

The Football Foundation contributed £716,000 to the playzones with contributions also coming from the communities.