Opposition growing to plans for homes on Widnes Golf Club
NEW fears have emerged over controversial plans to build hundreds of homes on Widnes Golf Course.
Politicians, residents living in the area and some unhappy members at Widnes Golf Club have expressed their opposition to the proposal, which could involve up to 240 properties.
An Extraordinary General Meeting is expected to be held at the club in the coming week after a motion was passed, in 2017, and remains in effect, to back a new development.
Cllr Andrea Wall, who has campaigned against the blueprints, said she believed a planning application was ‘imminent’.
On Saturday, the councillor obtained a photo of a map recently put up in Widnes Golf Club, entitled ‘overall masterplan’, which she published on her Facebook account.
It is understood the deal, if it goes ahead, is between the private
Widnes facility and builder Anwyl Homes, based in Flintshire, North Wales.
Also mooted was a move by the Widnes members to Blundells Hill Golf Club, in Rainhill, in the borough of St Helens.
But Anwyl has since insisted the Halton club would remain open and no switch to St Helens take place.
Cllr Wall, a Labour politician, has voiced her opposition in an online petition, and described residents as ‘up in arms about it’.
So far, more than 1,200 have signed the petition.
She wrote: “We believe that the green space of Widnes Golf Club is extremely important in terms of making up part of the ‘green lung’ of Widnes.
“It has for many decades been a central green space in the heart of Widnes and we believe that it must remain as green space.
“We have lost many of our green areas to housing development due to government planning laws.
“Housing development of this nature spot would have a hugely detrimental impact on the people of Kingsway Ward, living nearby, and also on people living across the whole of Widnes.
“The traffic on Liverpool Road and Highfield Road is we feel already at capacity, to add more houses with the numbers of cars that come with those houses would increase people’s travelling times, pollution and hugely increase the number of vehicles travelling near our local schools.
“We are deeply concerned that building houses on this important green space would heavily impact on the pupil places available at our local schools, many of which in the nearby vicinity are already hugely over subscribed.
“This would then have a wider impact on families living across Widnes when seeking school places.
“We urge Widnes Golf Club and their members to please think of the local community that the club has been part of for nearly 100 years.
“... we urge them to think of the wide ranging impact of their vote on their fellow Widnes residents and call on them as fellow Widnesians to stop the golf club’s attempts to sell this land for housing development.”
The decision to form a golf club in Widnes was taken nearly a century ago in 1923.
It was initially opened as a nine-hole course before, six years later, there were 18 holes in play.
One golf club member, who wished to stay anonymous, said: “I don’t want this to happen, and neither do a lot of other members.
“It’s not just about the golf, this is an already congested area.
“It’s a green lung which the town of Widnes cannot afford to do without.
“We could lose part of a key sporting facility in the town, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
“There’s nothing wrong with the club, it’s just short of money.
“It’s wrong and not fair on Widnes.”
Halton MP Derek Twigg is also understood to be against the blueprints, citing it would ‘change the character of the whole area’.
Opponents claim building new homes on course land will have detrimental consequences for Wade Deacon High School, which is said to be already oversubscribed.
Both Widnes Golf Club and Blundells Hill Golf Club both declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for Anwyl Homes said: “We can confirm thatwe are discussing the opportunity of a joint approach with Widnes Golf Club to seek to develop part of the site for new homes, whilst also improving golf club facilities.
“The club has suffered
● from f d declining li i membership in recent years and needs to make changes to its structure, but it is not selling the whole site off.
“Plans are at an early stage and will be consulted upon before any future planning application li ti itb is to be made, probably in
2020.”
A Halton Borough Council spokesman said: “We have no application as yet.
“It will go through the normal planning procedure.”