Plans have been lodged with Knowsley Council for a revamp of Kirkby Valley Golf Course on Ingoe Lane
Drone footage taken earlier this year of Kirkby Golf club
Ambitious new plans have been submitted to Knowsley Council for the transformation of Kirkby golf course. The proposal has been put foward by L32 Trading Limited (LTL) who already manage Allerton Manor golf club and includes provision for a new clubhouse, a driving range and a 9-hole golf course.
Kirkby golf course was founded in 1928 and currently consists of an 18-hole course that is dissected by the River Alt. Whilst 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.
The Kirkby site has been subject to a number of proposals over the last few years including a £20m ‘masterplan’. However, there were some concerns raised about the use of greenbelt land and plans local transport infrastructure which have now been addressed in the new planning application.
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Knowsley Council will convene on Thursday October 9 for a Planning Committee to assess the new proposals for the Kirkby site. Four rounds of consultation with local residents have taken place with 9 objections in total including a petition with four signatures. On the other side, there were three neutral comments and five in support including a petition with 560 signatures.
One of the objections related to development on green belt land, but the National Planning Policy Framework concludes applications should be approved if there is a commitment to preserving a site’s ‘openness’. LTL offered reassurance in this regard and stated the that entirety of the proposal constitutes ‘appropriate facilities for outdoor sport and recreation’.
The council report noted: “Consequently, the proposed development, when taken as a whole, would inevitably have greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development within the site. The development is therefore inappropriate development within the Green Belt.”
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.
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 whilst 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. These benefits extend to 35 hours a year of tuition and four paid scholarships available to designated schools.
The councl’s planning report notes: “The aim of the proposals, as stated within the Planning Statement is to turn a currently an ailing, not fit for purpose, unsafe, unattractive, unviable facility into a fit-for-purpose golf destination.”
The report later added: “The benefits of the scheme are considered to be significant.”
