Questions raised as growth space sought for Royal Birkdale
R&A Competitions is seeking a change of use consent for open land linked to Birkdale Common, which will allow it to improve existing practice tee at the neighbouring Hillside Golf Club ahead of the 2026 Open Championship.
The proposals will be considered on Monday 18 August at an urgent referrals meeting of Sefton Council, and have attracted some fire, with 89 objections lodged in time for inclusion in the officer report for the meeting.
As set out in that report, proposed works include the erection of new fencing and gates around the teeing area, introduction of new landscaping, reprofiling works of the land and the diversion of an existing public right of way cutting through the site.
Liverpool-based DLP Planning is advising the applicant.
Dealing with an enlarged tournament
Officers set out for members that the main issues to consider are the principle of development, impact on ecology, impact on the character and appearance of the area, impact on highway safety and impact on living conditions of neighbouring residents.
An issue raised repeatedly in the objections is that while residents are keen to support the Open, a prestigious event that brings considerable visitor spend to the area, they question the need for permanent changes, rather than simply erecting temporary fencing for the few weeks before and during each time Birkdale hosts The Open.
The last time Birkdale hosted was 2017, and it has held the event – which now has more venues such as Portrush jostling to host – 10 times in total, dating back to 1954. After St Andrews, it has been the most regular host.
Using neighbouring Hillside’s facilities is a must, say promoters, due the growth of The Open as an event – the 2017 staging attracted 235,000 visitors, and DLP said in its planning statement that “the Championship has evolved” since that event.
As officers set out, the applicant’s contention is that the existing practice range at Royal Birkdale is no longer a suitable location for providing the “overall world class facility” required for the world’s most prestigious major – nor is expansion of this facility an option, given the space needed to accommodate event infrastructure.
Using Hillside means Royal Birkdale would remain as “a safe, world class, and competitive facility” capable of hosting major events.
The Green Belt question
The site is Green Belt, but that status may not be enough for opponents to lean on. As the project represents extension of an existing sprots facility, officers advise that development would not be inappropriate, so long as openness is preserved – no buildings are proposed.
Officers stated that “the land would be recontoured to complement the existing practice tee and wider golf course area, but overall would remain open from a visual perspective”.
The fencing proposed would be a 2m palisade fence and gates to the perimeter of the outermost part of the site, while the existing low level wooden fencing and mesh would be repeated within the site. The palisade fencing would be permeable allowing views to be maintained across the land, similar to the existing fencing at Greenbank High School.
The project’s documents can be viewed on Sefton Council’s planning portal with the reference DC/2025/00750.
