The friends of an outdoor learning centre have responded to Norfolk County Council’s decision not to consult the public over plans to sell it off.

Council officers argued last month that NCC could no longer afford to finance Holt Hall, a Grade II listed Victorian mansion and the second largest provider of outdoor learning visits in the county.

NCC's cabinet will make a final decision on the centre’s future on December 7.

In a statement, the Friends of Holt Hall said that they had “hoped any decision would be led by wider consultation on the needs of Norfolk children and other young people”.

They added that they were “convinced there are many ways to strengthen the operating model for Holt Hall and move it to a more sustainable financial footing, a flagship for sustainability and the natural world in our beautiful county and at manageable cost to the public.”

The group urged citizens to sign their petition for the hall’s future, and to write to their county councillor calling for it to stay open.

The petition has so far been signed by some 5,300 people.