Club’s application for early lease renewal declined

A CROMWELL Golf Club application for early renewal of a lease of councilowned land has been declined.

Discussion of the issue at a Cromwell Community Board meeting was interrupted on Monday when it adjourned to listen to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outline plans for New Zealand’s move to Covid19 Alert Level 2.

Before this, Central Otago District Council property officer Linda Stronach told the board the club had applied for the early renewal of its lease of 22ha of the Cromwell Recreation Reserve.

The club occupies an area of about 46ha off Neplusultra St and the leased land contains the ‘‘back nine’’ holes, car park, driving range, clubhouse and other buildings.

Early renewal of the lease, which expires in 2023, was for the club to upgrade the clubrooms, she said.

The club had asked for an early renewal in 2018 but at the time the Cromwell master plan was under way and the request was declined, Ms Stronach said.

The Cromwell spatial plan, adopted in May 2019, sets out growth for Cromwell for the next 30 years and key to that plan was keeping future residential development within the town, she said. The leased land was flagged as suitable for future residential development and the spatial plan identified an area off Sandflat Rd as a future golf course and clubrooms.

She recommended the board decline the application and consult the club leading up to the expiry of the current lease.

Cr Neil Gillespie said while the club wanted certainty for its future, allowing for consultation before the lease potentially being granted in 2023 anyway would give the council certainty also.