Sport England delay decision on controversial Swindon golf complex plans
A "holding objection" has been put in place
A decision on a controversial plan by the owners of a South Swindon golf course, bitterly opposed by many of the players who use the course has been delayed.
Sport England, which says it should have been one of the consultees for Broome Manor Golf Complex Plans to build extra parking and eight all-weather football pitches which will see three holes of the nine-hole course there built over, has put in a “holding objection” to the scheme while it seeks more information.
The quango wrote to planners at Swindon Borough Council and said it had concerns about a conflict between the golf complex owner Twigmarket Ltd’s plans and football pitches it itself was funding: “The Swindon Local Football Facility Plan has identified five full-size 3G artificial grass pitches that potentially could be delivered to support grassroots football.
“Two of these will potentially be delivered through housing development in the area with The Football Foundation and Wiltshire Football Association currently engaged with conversations regarding the delivery of the remaining three projects.
“We have concerns regarding the impact that the proposed development may have locally including displacement at projects which the FF is currently developing with partners, especially given that the facilities do support wider, alternative formats of the game in addition to the traditional affiliated football.”
The funding body has asked for a range of further information including the size of the pitches and the surface to be used, the target market for usage, cost and also the impact on golfers, especially those with disabilities and other users of the shorter course, and how they are to be accommodated if the plans are given consent.
It concluded: “Sport England’s interim position on this proposal is to submit a holding objection. However, we will happily review our position following the receipt of all the further information requested above.”
The response from Twigmarket said: “Our business is modelled on the Powerleague operations who run small side leagues affiliated to the FA. While we are not affiliated to the FA we intend to run at Broome Manor a very busy small-sided leagues operation in addition to the casual and block bookings – coaching, kids’ camps, kids’ party business. We have identified Swindon as an ideal town being a proud football town but with no modern dedicated commercial five-a-side centres ever having been built.”
The matter was due to have been decided by Swindon Borough Council’s planning committee on October 11, but was removed from the agenda at the last minute. It was also not listed for a scheduled, then cancelled, planning committee meeting set for Tuesday.