A SECOND attempt is being made to build a hotel at a golf course.

As previously reported in the Gazette, an application was rejected in January this year by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to build a 21-bedroom hotel on the Bishopswood Golf Course, in Bishopswood Lane, Tadley.

The idea was that the development of the hotel would be supplemented by building 18 new homes on the site.

However, councillors refused the plans due to none of the new builds meeting the borough council’s 40 per cent affordable homes threshold.

Now, management at the golf course have resubmitted the application for the hotel, still with 21-bedrooms, but with no homes.

A planning design statement submitted to the borough council read: “The provision of accommodation is considered crucial in widening the appeal of Bishopswood Golf Club as a high-quality golfing destination, function and conference venue.

“As well as enhancing the existing conference and function offering, it will enable Bishopswood to venture into the golf breaks market, whereby groups of members of courses elsewhere in the country travel to other golf courses for short breaks.”

At the initial development control committee meeting in January this year, councillors were in favour of the hotel provision.

The planning statement goes on to read: “As outlined in the design brief, the design concept for the accommodation is to create an extension that follows the architectural theme of the existing clubhouse.

“It is of vital importance to appreciate that this application is not seeking consent for a standalone hotel venture.

“The existing golf clubhouse provides golf, restaurant, conference and function facilities, and the application is associated with providing ancillary accommodation complimenting this activity in order to capture the associated income stream and help to sustain Bishopswood.”

For more details, go to

planning.basingstoke.gov.uk

and search 19/01032/FUL.