Golf club objects to plans for 500 homes on site

13 hours ago

Tony FisherBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire

News image — Panshanger Golf Club said that many people rely on the course for physical activity, social connection and access to green space

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. — Panshanger Golf Club said that many people rely on the course for physical activity, social connection and access to green space

A 50-year-old public golf club has objected to a council's proposal to replace it with 500 homes and a leisure centre with a swimming pool.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council owns the site of the Panshanger Golf Club in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, and a consultation on the plans closes at the end of the month.

Nick Agnoli, the club's chairman, said "once lost, a facility of this quality and importance is unlikely ever to be replaced".

The council said that no decision has been made and it was "keen to hear the views of as many people as possible on the proposal".

It added that "high-quality family homes... could enable the financing" of the scheme.

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 club said that building 500 homes on green belt land was "inappropriate development"

Panshanger Golf Club said it has several hundred active members and thousands of regular users, including children, adults and schools.

The course hosts over 30,000 rounds of golf per year, which the club claimed made it one of the most heavily used public leisure facilities in the borough.

The council proposal "would have serious negative consequences for the community, local ecology and infrastructure capacity", it added.

"Building 500 homes on green belt land is 'inappropriate development' that would cause loss of openness and destabilise chalk-based ground known for sinkholes," it said.

Rod Wiltshire, the chairman of Panshanger Senior Golf Club, said that closing the club would affect thousands of local people.

"We are asking the council to pause, listen and collaborate with us.

"There are better options than closure, and we are ready to collaborate on a sustainable future for Panshanger."

The council said that "views of the members of Panshanger Golf Club will be carefully considered along with the other feedback that we receive".

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.