A campaign group in Salcombe has upped the ante in trying to get the historic footpath between Bonaventure Road and Onslow Road reopened.

The path had been a popular cut-through for many decades along land owned by Salcombe Tennis Club.

The club closed the path in 2017 on the advice of structural engineers.

The campaign group is led by Stephen Alcock, a resident of Bonadventure Road and former Chairman of the tennis club.

It includes Ivor Cooper, who is the grandson of Eddie Distin, the most highly decorated past coxswain of Salcombe Lifeboat and one of only two survivors of the lifeboat disaster of 1916.

According to Stephen: ‘‘Ivor often walked this path with this great man who always told Ivor that the path sat on land gifted to the people of Salcombe by a local Doctor, Dr Twining possibly in the arly 1900s.

“This account is shared by others.’’ In early 2022 South Hams District Council gave the club £8,800 to carry out works to the path using Section 106 money.”

Stephen continued: ‘‘The club have had the money but the path is closed and there’s about 40 metres of concrete path missing.

‘‘We know the path is safe to reopen.’’ The club indicated that they planned to concrete it over and reopen it to the public at Easter but this has so far not happened. The group raised their concerns with both Salcombe Town Council and SHDC.

Mayor Mark Goodey said the best way forward would be to organise a site visit with the campaigners and the tennis club and discuss this issue further.

Stephen commented that: ‘‘The whole thing is an appaling injustice.’’

Chairman of Salcombe Tennis Club Chris Coles said: “We are aware of local interest in reopening the path.

“The path has been closed for a number of years on advice from geological surveyors who had concerns about the safety of the buildings above.

“The club has worked hard over the past year to facilitate the reopening. As previously outlined to Salcombe Town Council, the local action group and members of the Club, we are working to satisfy three conditions which will allow us to reopen the path.

“Firstly, the implementation of the recommendations of our surveyors, which is almost complete. Second, the change of status of the Club from an Association to a Company limited by guarantee, also almost complete.

“Third, confirmation from our insurers that public liability insurance will be in place following reopening.

“The process has taken much longer than we would have liked but we are hopeful of completion soon.

“On a personal note , as someone who used the path regularly as a child, I am as keen as anyone to see the path reopened.’