Cheshire East to refuse Adlington adventure golf scheme
Adlington Golf Centre applied for permission to repurpose part of its land into an Australian-themed adventure golf course but the plans have been labelled “inappropriate” by planning officers.
The facility, developed by Swedish adventure golf course designers City Golf Europe, would comprise 18-holes with features such as Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Ayres Rock and King George Falls, as well as a small lake and a timber shack, to be used for ticket sales.
However, the proposal looks likely to be refused by Cheshire East’s planning committee on Wednesday after the council’s planning officer recommended the scheme be refused.
The officer’s report said: “By reason of the harm to openness, the proposed development represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The benefits of the proposal, in terms of promoting the health and wellbeing of users and the positive impact on the local economy, are not enough to outweigh the significant harm to the Green Belt.”
An example of one of the proposed holes
Plans for the adventure golf attraction were lodged in July following the council’s acquisition of land belonging to the golf club under a compulsory purchase order.
Cheshire East bought the land as part of its plans for the £53m Poynton Relief Road project, leaving Adlington Golf Centre’s nine-hole graduate course unviable due to its reduction in size.
As a result, the golf club’s owner sought to identify a long-term, viable use of the remaining 11 acres, which it claims is too small to be used as a modified standalone golf course.
Emery Planning is the planning consultant for the project.
So it’s fine to take a chunk of our beautiful greenbelt to build unaffordable houses for the majority and a relief road, but not OK to support the mental health and wellbeing of the youths of the area.
By Anonymous
So what’s the point of allowing people to own land, but not allowing them to build on it? If it is designated Green Belt, then the council should have bought the land off the owner since they won’t allow the owners to do anything with it. As for the idea of a family golf course, why not? It’s an outdoor activity that local people could enjoy and probably would be far more used than the land in its current state
By EOD
What nonsense to suggest that the area should be developed further. The point of Green Belt is to preserve its openness, which the sort of structures contemplated would impinge upon. As to viability of what remains, that usually falls under the claim, if any, for planning compensation, but there is no such claim possible since all of that was considered when the authority reached an agreement to sell the road land.
By Self
A lot of people don’t understand the concept of Green Belt. It is not all pristine land full of trees and open fields. There are many man-made structures in the Green Belt already: pylons, reservoirs, roads, golf courses. Even runway two at Manchester Airport is in the Green Belt. Outskirts by John Grindrod is a great book to get a detailed insight into the concept of Green Belt.
By Red Rose
The idea of Green Belt was originally established so large urban areas don’t merge into each other. I can’t personally see anything wrong with this particular proposal, it appears to be a great and imaginative scheme. Some Green Belt sites could be planted with new woodlands, perhaps as part of the proposed M62 Forest.
By Steve Webberley
The boundaries of the so called Green Belt were formed by the establishment of the 1947 Town & Country Planning Act. They were formed by following paths. streams, roads, boundaries in the area by a “committee” with no idea of future needs. Most of the Green Belt in our area is suitable only for growing crops of small commercial value & is not accessible to the public and would be better used for housing. The only reason why it’s not is the upstart Nimbys.
By Anonymous
Politicians are a scourge on society with their nonsensical views on how we should live our lives and be governed. This nonsense is but a small example. To fully understand the stupidity of your run-of-the-mill councillors, read the GMSF document on the plans for future housing. Thousands of new homes but not one proposed school, shop, pub, doctors. Yet we vote these numpties in year after year.
By David Etchells
This should go ahead. It’s not turning the space into a concrete housing estate, it’s turning it into a adventure crazy golf course for many citizens to enjoy.
By Darren born bred salford
If this was a open field that they were trying to convert to the golf course I could understand the decision, but it’s the existing use and they’re trying to diversify it to encourage more people to use it. The fact that they allowed a large housebuilder to build on the old aerodrome next door, which is also in Green Belt, begs the question whether the council really care about the ‘openness’ of the Green Belt?
By Aevis