Plans dropped for 500 homes on golf club site

7 hours ago

Tony FisherBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire

News image — Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council said it had taken into account the views of residents and it would not redevelop Panshanger Golf Club

Tony Ashforth A wide view of a golf course shows a neatly maintained fairway stretching into the distance beneath a clear blue sky. Mature trees line both sides of the hole, creating a natural border of mixed green foliage. In the foreground, a closely mown green leads towards the fairway, while a sand bunker is visible on the right-hand side. It is a sunny day with a blue sky. — Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council said it had taken into account the views of residents and it would not redevelop Panshanger Golf Club

A proposal to redevelop a 50-year-old public golf club with 500 homes and a leisure centre has been dropped.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, which owns the site of the Panshanger Golf Club in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire made the decision at its cabinet meeting on Tuesday but later said there was "no clear support" for the club.

More than 4,300 people signed a petition to protect Panshanger Golf Club and several thousand responded to a public consultation launched in July.

Golf club captain Tony Ashforth said: "I cannot emphasise how amazing the public response has been in support of the golf course and the open green space."

The golf club, which has several hundred active members and thousands of regular users, had objected to the plans in July.

Tony Ashforth A golf clubhouse with large windows and an elevated terrace overlooking the course. Mature trees frame the scene on both sides, while a sand bunker is visible to the left of the building. Bright sunshine and a clear blue sky illuminate the landscape, highlighting the neatly cut grass and surrounding greenery. — The council said it would continue to work to find the right ways to deliver both leisure facilities and homes for the borough

The council said the consultation found strong support for improved leisure facilities in Welwyn Garden City.

However views were divided about Panshanger Golf Club as a potential site.

It had been chosen because it is council-owned and feasibility work suggested housing was a potential way to help fund the new facilities.

The council said the town does not currently have its own public swimming pool, and demand for swimming and indoor sports was expected to grow.

Max Holloway, executive member for community and leisure, said "there was no clear support for the Panshanger Golf Club site, alongside some concern about new homes".

He added the authority would continue to work to find the right ways to deliver both leisure facilities and good homes for the borough.

Sandreni Bonfante, deputy leader of the council, thanked everyone that completed the survey or attended the drop-in sessions.

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.