Anger as Torquay wildflower meadow is cut down

Torbay Council has come under fire after cutting down acres of wild flowers in a seafront meadow.

When the pitch-and-putt golf course at Torre Abbey was controversially closed in 2024 the four-acre course was left to be re-wilded with flowers and mown paths for walkers.

Local groups had campaigned against the closure of the golf course, disputing the council’s claim that it had to be shut due to damage being done to nearby historic buildings by wayward golf shots. But when it did close, they welcomed the re-wilding that took its place.

Community groups studied the nature that blossomed on the meadow and local Guides put up a home-made poster saying: “Do Not Cut The Grass”. The area became a haven for insects, bees and hedgehogs.

Above: Handmade poster by local guides at Torre Abbey, Torquay. Image courtesy: Guy Henderson

But now the meadow has been completely cut back again, leading to an angry row online and official complaints to the council.

The meadow is just a stone’s throw from the seafront Italian Gardens, where the council and its grounds maintenance firm SWISCo had to apologise in 2023 after cutting down 40 iconic palm trees without telling anyone.

Margaret Forbes-Hamilton, who chairs the Torre and Upton Community Partnership, said cutting the meadow had completely destroyed an important habitat.

“A meadow like that with the beach in the background was absolutely unique, and now it’s gone,” she said.  “The Britain in Bloom judges are due in Torquay later this month.

“We were looking forward to showing it to them so they could see this amazing urban meadow in a seaside environment, but now we’re going to have to try and move past that area fairly fast.”

Above: Cut grass at Torre Abbey, Torquay. Image: Guy Henderson

Mrs Forbes-Hamilton said the cutting had been done without consulting environment experts at Torre Abbey who were ‘distraught’ to see what had been done.

The council said it had received a large number of complaints about the ‘unkempt’ meadow, both on social media and directly to councillors.

During an exchange on social media, Cllr Adam Billings (Con, Churston with Galmpton) wrote: “I can genuinely see this both ways. Some liked the ‘natural’ look of the long grass, but the majority contacting me preferred the more ‘well tended to’ look and wanted it cut.”

And, he replied to one critic: “If people don’t like my views or those of any other councillor they can vote us out of office.”

Torbay Council has been invited to comment.