Group says its plan could have saved golf course but was turned down by council
IT BELIEVES HISTORIC ALLESTREE PARK SITE CAN BE RUN AT A PROFIT
PEOPLE from all walks of golfing life have come forward to condemn Derby City Council’s decision to close Allestree Park golf course from the end of this year.
Among them is one of those involved in putting forward a proposal to take over the running of the golf course, who has criticised the city council’s handling of the process.
And a golf writer has said that the course is potentially “a golfing gold mine” that the council is foolish to close.
Last week, Derby City Council announced that it would be closing the course for good from the end of this year and said of the four expressions of interest it received “no viable business proposals to operate the golf course were submitted”.
But Dr Andy Ireland, who worked up a proposal to run the course with other partners, said the first he knew that his proposal, and others, had been rejected was when he read about it in the Derby Telegraph.
He said: “We had expected to discuss our proposal and we understood that we would be spoken to by an officer and a councillor about it but no-one was in touch at all.
“And it would have been courteous to let us know what was happening before it appeared in the media.”
The closure announcement has also sparked an outpouring of dismay from past users of the course, including golfing professionals and supporters of the sport from further afield. A national petition against the closure, which has been active for much of 2020, had also now gathered more than 5,300 signatures.
It was early in 2020 that the council invited expressions of interest from potential course operators.
Mr Ireland, who lives in Allestree, said that his group wanted to create a purpose-built lodge where staff could be situated and golf equipment could be stored and sold, and also for refreshments.
“Our expression of interest also contained how the utility services such as water and electricity would be supplied and we had done extensive work with the service providers.
“We have good backers, and people already involved in groundskeeping and firmly believe that the course can be run with profit.”
The expression of interest exercise specified that potential operators of the course would involve a minimum lease of five years.
But the city council disagreed that potential operators had not been notified.
A Derby City Council spokesman said: “The council took the consultation process very seriously, considering all aspects and reviewing every expression of interest on its merits.
“After all the bids were assessed, it was determined that none of the proposals submitted provided a sustainable viable solution to the running of the course. All parties that submitted a bid have been informed that they were unsuccessful but it is not possible to provide individual feedback on each bid.”
The council started looking for an operator after the potential buyer of the adjacent Grade II*-listed Allestree Hall indicated they wanted to turn it into a wedding venue but did not want to operate the golf course.
The spokesman added: “The site has been operating at a deficit for many years and these losses were no longer sustainable.
“Returning the course to parkland will be a cost saving to the council of £69,000 per annum and also return an asset to wider public use.
“There are no plans for development on the parkland and there are planning policies in place to protect these green spaces.”
Andrew Picken, who writes for www.golfshake.com, a digital golf magazine with more than 400,000 subscribers, has been researching the origins of the golf course and believes the council is sitting on a potential golfing gold mine.
He claims that the expression of interest document was incorrect because it said that the course was set up in 1948.
Mr Picken said: “It fails to account for the first 18 years of its life. 1948 is when the Derby council took over the hall, park and golf course.
“This is important because it has a major impact on the value and heritage of the golfing site. It is the ultimate golf course designer label.
“Allestree Park golf course was designed by one of the world’s leading golf course architects, Harry S Colt in 1929. He also designed the Eden course at St Andrew’s, Sunningdale, Woodhall Spa and Royal Portrush.”
Mr Picken says Allestree is one of only a couple of golf courses not in private hands. Derby City Council has in its possession a potential golfing gold mine.
“The course needs some care and attention that it has clearly not received in recent years. The basic layout is excellent and there are some fabulous golf holes in place. To make it viable all that is needed is somewhere to sell tickets and somewhere to store equipment.”
Mr Picken said that the course opened for play on May 1930. It was constructed with the support of local construction company G F Tomlinson.
He said: “Colt described one of the short holes as one of the most challenging he had designed anywhere. This hole is the current 17th hole on the golf course.
“The course closed during the Second World War having been commandeered by the Sherwood Forester regiment and used for training purposes. This included the throwing of hand grenades. It reopened under the new title of Allestree Park Golf course in 1948.
“Amendments were made to the original layout, shortening the course, but it remained essentially as designed.”
Mr Picken says that several Derbyshire golf professionals played their early golf at Allestree Park golf course.
This included Steve Astle, who is head of instruction at the East Midlands Golf Academy based at Morley Hayes and an advanced PGA Professional. He is an England regional coach and works as a consultant advising courses and professional golfers around the world.
Mr Astle said: “I started my golfing career at Sinfin and Allestree Park as an assistant professional.
“My first steps into golf were taken at this municipal facility. With a little investment it could be a superb golf course. I always recognised that there were some excellent features within it and I am not surprised at the revelations regarding its history.
“I can think of at least six others who started our golfing careers at this venue. Losing this type of public access facility could have a massive impact for years to come. “Since the Covid-19 virus the game of golf has seen a massive upturn in popularity. People need venues that are accessible to them.”
Allestree Park, which is 129 hectares, is the biggest public open space in Derby and in 2002 it was designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) - the largest in Derbyshire. The LNR is managed by the Allestree Park LNR Management Advisory Group, which is a partnership between the city council, the Friends of Allestree Park and the Conservation Volunteers and covers land outside the golf course.
Allestree Hall has been unoccupied for more than 40 years and is in a poor state of repair requiring an estimated £2.8 million in repairs and is listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. The purchase of it is due to be completed in January.
Mr Picken is urging people to sign an online petition – change.org/p/ derby-city-council-save-allestreepark-golf-course
To make it viable all that is needed is somewhere to sell tickets and somewhere to store equipment. Andrew Picken