Controversial Blackpool golf club plan awaits final decision

A decision by Blackpool Council’s executive to sell 39 acres at Stanley Park Golf Club for redevelopment will be ruled on by 42 councillors, following claims it failed to consider crucial arguments against the planned disposal. 

Last week, councillors voted to dispose of the land to United Kingdom Adventure Parks, a subsidiary of real estate investor Holmes Investment Properties, which wants to bring forward a £45m project to build holiday lodges and an adventure centre on a plot that would see the 18-hole golf course cut in half.

UKAP’s plans would see the construction of an Adrenalin World centre, a brand headed up by tennis player-turned-leisure mogul, David Lloyd. 

Following last week’s decision, one local councillor, Cllr Tony Williams, asked that the council’s tourism, economy and communities scrutiny committee, which met yesterday, refer the decision to sell the land to full council for consideration. 

He said there had been “inadequate consultation” over the plans and that the council’s executive committee had failed to take into account residents’ concerns when it made its decision to approve the land sale. 

A petition against the sale of the land garnered 8,000 signatures before being thrown out by the council last year.

At yesterday’s meeting, a motion was lodged by another councillor, Cllr Peter Hunter, for the committee to “do nothing” and go ahead with the disposal. That motion resulted in a vote of four in favour and four against. 

The committee chair then cast the deciding vote against the motion. 

The outcome of the meeting was that the decision on whether or not to progress the sale dwould be taken by full council, essentially overruling the executive committee’s earlier decision.

Martin Mitchell, chair of the tourism, economy and communities scrutiny committee, said: “I am not convinced the executive considered all of the relevant arguments. If this is referred to full council, it will enable full consideration of all the issues.” 

At the end of the meeting, Cllr Adrian Hutton, who had seconded the motion to allow the disposal to stand, said the meeting had been a “waste of time”.