Kirkby golf course was founded in 1928 and currently consists of an 18-hole course that is dissected by the River Alt
Plans for the region’s first ‘Total Golf’ destination have now been approved for Kirkby and include a driving range, a clubhouse and an 18-hole adventure golf course. Knowsley Council’s planning committee met last night and green-lit the £20m proposal for the future of the Kirkby Valley Golf Course.
Kirkby golf course was founded in 1928 and currently consists of an 18-hole course that is dissected by the River Alt. While the golf course is located within Knowsley, the land is owned by Liverpool City Council who leased the course to the applicant, L32 Trading Ltd on a 150-year lease in 2019.
A planning application for the former municipal golf course was originally submitted to Knowsley Council in 2021, but was subsequently revised in response to consultation responses and a desire to minimise the impact of the £20 million investment on the site’s greenbelt status.
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LTL plan a complete redevelopment of the golf course and will remodel the existing facilities as well as adding new features such as a driving range, a practice putting green, and adventure space and a new 9-hole par 3 golf course on 52 acres of disused land adjacent to the existing site.
There are also plans for a new two storey clubhouse comprising bar, restaurant and function space and a proposal to update the existing clubhouse space into a golf related training academy with overnight accommodation for golf professionals.
Andrew Craven of IDG Golf Architects said: “We set out to deliver a fantastic golf-for-all offer while safeguarding Kirkby Valley’s landscape and environmental value. We’re proud to be delivering a significant net gain in the site’s ecology and biodiversity, through new planting and habitat creation.
It is hoped the scheme will also have a positive impact on the local economy and LTL estimate that 65 jobs would be created during construction while the operations side has the potential for an additional 93 new roles. Furthermore, LTL has committed to a wide-ranging package of ‘community benefits’ which would provide opportunities for local school and disadvantaged groups.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said: “This exciting scheme will create new jobs and deliver economic benefits to Kirkby and the wider borough. The plans will transform the existing facility into a modern, fit-for-purpose golf destination which will inevitably attract new members as well as visitors from far and wide.”
