Okehampton United Charities have secured 33 acres of land surrounding Okehampton which it will protect in perpetuity from development and maintain it as a green space for residents.

The charity secured the purchase of Tramlines Bridleway and the fields at Kempleys, Tramlines and alongside the East Okement River last month and intend to conserve the land as an environmentally-friendly space for recreational and educational use.

Okehampton United Charities chairman Daryll Chapman said: ’We were very keen to acquire it for the benefit of the community and to be able to maintain the charity. The land adjoins land we already own and it would have been a shame if, as a town, we lost some of the land next to the land we own.

’The charitable causes [of the purchase] go beyond financial. The land will be protected from development and we will maintain it for future generations and the environment.’

Mr Chapman said that the charity had been considering buying more land in the past and unanimously decided to purchase Tramlines Bridleway and the other fields after local residents voiced their approval of the potential purchase when the plots were put on the market.

As yet, the charity has no fixed plans for the land though it is, Mr Chapman said, eager to hear from and work with other local organisations to conserve it as a public educational and recreational space for a range of outdoor activities.

With ongoing housing developments within Okehampton and increasing environmental awareness, the charity wishes to ensure that green space and routes from Okehampton to Dartmoor remain accessible to residents and visitors.

Town councillor and Okehampton United Charities trustee, Christine Marsh said: ’[The land] is not developed at all and it will remain as it is. The only difference is we now own it.

’It’s still a facility for the town and we are not going to have it shut off from anyone. It’s still there for public use.’

The land owned by Okehampton United Charities now encompasses part of the the bridleway which runs through the Tramlines Woods and can now be accessed through Simmons Park. The Woodland Trust manage the other section of the Tramlines Bridleway.

Okehampton United Charities was founded in 1873 to manage land holding in Okehampton and its Hamlets. Today its responsibilities also include making grants to local charitable organisations and groups including those offering community facilities and support, sport and recreation and education.

The charity also works closely with Okehampton College and Okehampton Primary School and gives grants to under-25s for financial help with post-16 education, apprenticeships and further education.

Organisations which have received help from Okehampton United Charities in the past include the Tor Support Services, Everything Okehampton, Who Let The Dads Out! and the Rotary Club.

For more information about Okehampton United Charities visit www.okehamptoncharities.org.uk