Object

Representation ID: 17658

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sport England

SAH228 - Brandhall Golf Course - 560 dwellings.

The site allocation involves the loss of an existing sports facility. The Council have undertaken a Golf Needs Assessment to make the case that the golf course is surplus. Whilst Sport England do not wish to object to the loss of the golf course, as its accepted that there are other courses in the local area with capacity for new members and for pay and play use, there is a strong case for securing mitigation from the loss of this course to invest in improvements to existing golf facilities. England Golf advise that Warley Woods is a prime candidate for investment and could definitely offer a more rounded facility to cater for more golfers if money were to be spent here. They advise that the golf club members have been asking for a while for improvements to the building they use as a clubhouse and have faced numerous challenges. Sport England would therefore be likely to object to the allocation at Reg 19 stage unless the policy allocation expressly includes a requirement to secure a suitable developer contribution towards mitigation for the loss of the golf course. Whilst Sport England understand that the development of the site will also involve the development of a new park with opportunities for informal recreation, this cannot be agreed as mitigation for the loss of the golf course as this does not benefit golf.