Hulton Park CGI The Ryder Cup in the Great Park p Peel LP

Hulton Park is in the running to host the Ryder Cup in 2035. Credit: via Peel Land

Peel plays for time with procedural tweak on Hulton Park bid

With a government decision on Ryder Cup hosting now pushed back to 2026, the developer has asked Bolton Council to approve minor works that would keep its consent live.

The local authority’s planning committee meets on 30 January, and will be asked to approve a deed of variation to the Section 106 agreement. Peel wants to build a section of the ceremonial driveway, just 6 metres by 2.2 metres.

As set out by the planning officer report, this would constitute “material operation” and thus secure the consent.

Officers recommend approval, reporting this as legally sound, adding that the land concerned could be returned to its previous state should the event not be awarded.

Background

The planning permission secured by Peel – which won approval twice at appeal – is effectively dependent on Ryder Cup-hosting rights being secured for either 2031 or 2035.

Peel’s consent dates from October 2022, and is a hybrid permission covering full consent for the the golf course and associated facilities, and outline permission for more than 1,000 homes, a primary school and more.

A government decision on the event host is not now expected until next year at the earliest, ie more than three years beyond the consent date. Having an extant consent is a condition of shortlisting.

With Europe hosting the event every four years, Hulton Park is on the shortlist for when England will next host. It is now accepted that 2031 is not realistic, and a decision on 2035 is not expected to happen until 2026 or 2027.

Amidst vocal community opposition, Peel initially secured consent in 2020, winning at appeal after Bolton’s members voted against officer recommendation. The developer then tweaked the plans to lessen Green Belt impact and add more community spaces. Again stymied locally, it won at appeal in October 2022.

Peel’s position and PfE

A Peel Land spokesperson said: “The Ryder Cup process is ongoing and Hulton Park remains shortlisted, but the award of the tournament is not now expected until 2026 or 2027. We are therefore simply seeking to keep the planning permission live in a legitimate way, so that it can be implemented if the Ryder Cup is awarded.

“This entails building a two-metre stretch of the driveway as a lawful implementation of the permission. Peel is requesting that the ‘Ryder Cup restriction’ is varied only to allow this; the remainder of the approved development would remain prohibited until the Ryder Cup is awarded.

“The current applications are not an opportunity to revisit the proposals for Hulton Park. These have been subject to two public inquiries where all matters were fully considered, and permission granted so that the enormous benefits and legacy for the local area could be realised.

“This legacy includes over £1bn of impact, hundreds of jobs, the restoration of the degraded Park, opening up new public access, delivering new highways to address congestion (including the proposed “Park Avenue” bypassing Chequerbent roundabout and relieving congestion), substantial ecological enhancement (will above the minimum 10% target), other new facilities and infrastructure, hosting major events including the Ryder Cup, and much more.”

More or less agreeing with Peel’s position, the planning officer reminds members that since the original consent, Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone development plan has ben adopted.

This explicitly identifies Hulton Park as one of the key assets which will support the success of the Bolton-Wigan Growth corridor. The report said: “Members will be aware that this PfE policy seeks to deliver a regionally significant area of economic and residential development, that will see improved transport links, including new highway infrastructure.” Hulton Park, as something with the potential to bring in large events, is also picked out in the Bolton Visitor Economy Strategy 2024-2030.

Peel’s spokesperson concluded: “The decision to be made is very simple: whether to retain the potential for that investment or not. The consequence of not approving would be that the permission will lapse, which would be a huge setback to the project and to Bolton itself.

“Of course, the permission lapsing would not address the well-established principle that there is a need restore and find a viable future use for Hulton Park. We are therefore urging Bolton Council to ignore misinformation and make a simple procedural decision, in line with its growth plans and stated support for the Hulton Park project, and retain the ability to deliver this transformational project, in the public interest.”

Your Comments

Read our comments policy

This is an area of national beauty and shouldn’t have houses,hotels or anything else there. We the people who live in the area respect it as a wildlife community , a place of historical interest and a step too far. Peel have the government in their pockets, but never in mine.

By Suzanna cook

Well if Bolton can pull this off its one in the eye for South Manchester and Cheshire..more the better.

By Patrick

It’s been there nearly a thousand years once It’s gone It’s gone. All to make money.

By Anonymous

I fail to see why the proposed highway proposals to address congestion are needed when the planning application means 1000 more houses and the increase in vehicle usage this will involve. Plus the traffic increase for any events held there.

By Malcolm Carey

As a resident of Atherton and living fairly close to Hilton Park, I welcome this development. As a boy scout we camp here in the summer and it’s a stunning park, that in my opinion should be opened up to the general public. I believe the construction process will provide much needed jobs and eventually the new residents will help to breathe new life into the nearby town centres

By Chris Furey

Yay more golf courses…said nobody who’s ever lived near one. The endless daily droning of leaf blowers and mowers, soaked in fertiliser, minimal biodiversity value and no public access to huge areas of potential green space, other than for a few wealthy people to trudge around tapping a ball into a hole.

By Golf curse

Considering the wide & varied choice of world class golf courses that we have across the UK, how on earth could the Ryder Cup even be shortlisted, let alone awarded to a course that won’t have been built when the decision is made, and won’t have any experience of holding any hosting event, let alone the Ryder Cup?…..Bizarre!

By Hole-In-One

We already have enough suitable golf courses in the UK fit to host the Ryder Cup so why do we need a new kid on the block pushing it`s way to the front of the queue. The Northwest has Royal Birkdale for starters , which has already successfully hosted two Ryder Cups on their historic course, so isn`t this just Peel more interested in making more money than the game of golf, and probably seeking more government funding in the process.

By Anonymous

imagine if each and every time, in the last 100 years, anytime any thing was ever made people were this negative about it and worst of all, if those in charge actually gave a damn about their objections… Nothing at all would have ever got done…EVER!

By theproinfrastructureguy

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