Agenda item

To consider Joint Report No. COMM1721 / PLN1739 (copy attached), which sets out the results of a public consultation exercise on the option to close the Southwood Golf Course and convert it to a major new parkland, providing additional Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to enable the delivery of new housing developments elsewhere in the Borough.

The Cabinet considered Joint Report No. COMM1721 / PLN1739, which set out the results of a consultation exercise on an option to create a major new parkland and deliver Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) at Southwood Golf Course, Farnborough. Also included was a summary of the process to date, to assist the Cabinet in determining what action was to be taken in relation to the future of the Southwood Golf Course.

 

Members were reminded that a joint meeting of the Environment Policy and Review Panel and the Leisure and Youth Policy and Review Panel had been held on 7th November, 2017 to consider this matter. It was reported that the Chairman of that meeting had requested to address the meeting, as had five members of the public and a representative from England Golf.

 

Cr. Mrs. D.B. Bedford, Chairman of the Joint Panel meeting, explained that, at the meeting, a thorough examination of the options for the golf course following the completion of the consultation exercise had been carried out. The Minutes of the meeting were set out at Appendix 1 of the Joint Report No. COMM1721 / PLN1739. Following a comprehensive debate, the Joint Panel had agreed that the following should be recommended to the Cabinet:

 

“That the decision regarding the future of the Southwood Golf Course be deferred for twelve months while all other options be pursued to include:

 

·                Lobbying Government

·                Seeking special dispensation for the area of Rushmoor in the way it is treated for SANG land, and;

·                Examination of alternative SANG provision to provide the necessary mitigation for housing development in Rushmoor.”

 

The Cabinet then received representations in favour of the Southwood Golf Course from Mr. Mike Bartley, Mr. Barry Gilmore, Mr. Keith Ledgerwood and Mr. Andy Short. Mr. William Fry of England Golf also spoke on behalf of England Golf. It was noted that Mr. David Scott had also registered to speak at the meeting but had been unable to attend.

 

The Cabinet then questioned officers in relation to various matters. These matters had been raised during the consultation exercise and events, the Joint Panel meeting, the Council meeting, at which the petition containing 2,366 signatures had been received, and the spoken representations received earlier in the meeting. The following clarifications were received:

 

-           The Council’s previous Portfolio Holder for Environment and Service Delivery had consistently challenged both Natural England and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in relation to SANG provision in Rushmoor’s individual circumstances, and the whole concept of the approach to mitigation but had been unsuccessful in achieving concessions in this respect;

 

-           Aldershot’s Member of Parliament, Mr. Leo Docherty, had recently written to the Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP expressing concerns regarding SANG and the Southwood Golf Course. Mr. Javid’s reply had confirmed that there were no plans for the Government to revise its current position in relation to the provision of SANG to mitigate the harmful effects of new housing development on protected sites;

 

-           It was Natural England’s view that an operating golf course would not qualify as SANG due to the lack of open access;

 

-           In terms of the production of the new Local Plan, a delay of twelve months would represent a significant risk, as a failure to demonstrate available SANG could lead to the Local Plan being found to be unsound at the examination stage, leading to a potential loss of control over planning for new development in the Borough;

 

-           As at the date of this meeting, existing SANG capacity would only provide for the creation of around a further 12 new dwellings in the Aldershot area;

 

-           Of the predicted total of homes required in Aldershot up to 2032, around 700 were currently without mitigation, even if the proposed SANG at Blandford House was to become available and fully utilised, which was uncertain at this time.  This would hinder or even halt the Council’s efforts to regenerate Aldershot Town Centre;

 

-           The Memorandum of Understanding with Hart District Council in relation to the shared SANGs, including at Bramshot, was not legally binding;

 

-           The Council expected to receive planning applications early in 2018 regarding housing developments in Aldershot town centre totalling around 600 dwellings, at which time SANG would need to be in place for the schemes to progress;

 

-           Even if the Government was to lower the minimum housing requirement following the recent consultation, due to pressing housing need, development of dwellings in Rushmoor would need to progress to meet demand;

 

-           The ratio of dogs to people in the Borough was unknown;

 

-           If the Council did not have a current Local Plan and relevant SANG policy, each planning application would need to undertake an “appropriate assessment” to determine appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures;

 

-           Rushmoor’s new Local Plan would make provision for 436 homes to be added to the housing stock each year;

 

-           Officers had been working on developing the new Local Plan for four to five years and the total cost to date would be estimated at around £1.4 million;

 

-           There were fifteen months left on the current contract with Mack Trading for the operation of Southwood Golf Course, meaning that any early termination in the event of closure would be subject to negotiation with the contractor;

 

-           Appendix 3 of the Joint Report No. COMM1721 / PLN1739 set out alternatives to Southwood in terms of local golf courses;

 

-           Southwood Golf Club members could be assisted in transferring membership to alternative local clubs but this was likely to carry financial implications for the Council;

 

-           The £40,000 subsidy of Southwood Golf Course was factual information and was contained in the Council’s accounts;

 

-           It was confirmed that the Council applied different levels of occupation for SANG calculation purposes depending of the type of dwelling proposed and did not use the 2.4 level as a standard when determining SANG mitigation requirements for planning applications, in order to make the best use of this scarce resource;

 

-           The Council had carried out an exhaustive search of its land holdings in the Borough to find alternative sites but had been unsuccessful;

 

-           The conversion of Southwood to SANG parkland would carry no cost to local Council Tax payers as this would be paid for by local developers; and

 

-           The golf course site would be protected from future development by an existing covenant, meaning that any future proposal for development on the site would carry a financial burden that would prove prohibitive.

 

Having considered the issues in detail, the Cabinet took the view that, taking account of the comprehensive information and evidence provided, the Council’s requirements to identify SANG meant that the Golf Course would need to be converted to open space. Therefore, subject to a number of safeguards and further steps, the Cabinet agreed that the Golf Course should close and that the Chief Executive should be authorised to determine the date of closure.

 

In considering the options available, the Cabinet expressed its gratitude for the extensive and high quality engagement that had been demonstrated by all parties during the process.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)        the Southwood Golf Course be closed to provide SANG to mitigate the impact of new housing on the Special Protection Area (SPA);

 

(ii)       the Council’s Chief Executive be authorised to decide on the date of closure of the Golf Course, dependent on the provision of new SANG capacity at Blandford House;

 

(iii)      the necessary actions be taken forward to make the land suitable as SANG, with the management plan being brought to the Cabinet in due course;

 

(iv)      the continuation of the dialogue with the Government and Natural England in an attempt to address the SANG issue be approved; and

 

(v)       arrangements be made to provide support and advice to Southwood Golf Club users living in the Borough as to other options available in the local area.