Public meeting to discuss Down Grange Golf Course plans

The meeting will be held at St Mark's Church, Homesteads Road, from 3pm to 8pm on Wednesday,  September 10.

Residents are invited to have their say on proposals to relocate a six-hole pitch and putt golf course and pod-style driving range to Down Grange.

It comes after  Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council reached a conditional agreement with Great Wolf Resorts to build an indoor water park resort on the land at the current pitch and putt at Basingstoke Golf Centre next to the Leisure Park in 2024.

The council reviewed land in its ownership that would provide enough space to re-locate the facilities currently on offer at Basingstoke Golf Centre, and Down Grange was designated the most suitable site.

"This would offer an opportunity to expand the sports facilities available at the complex," a BDBC spokesperson said.

Campaign group, Save Down Grange, encouraged residents to attend the meeting.

Leigh Henderson, chsir, siad: "The Campaign encourages people with a love of Down Grange to visit the Council’s Information event.

"The Group will have members on hand with information on why it believes the proposal to be fundamentally flawed. That is based on matters of principle, safety, the already stretched capacity of the site, environmental concerns and the loss of an unmatched sports training and leisure space."

"When it’s gone, it’s gone."

Proposals would include a six-hole pitch and putt course, which could operate as a 12-hole course with dual tees on land south of Down Grange House, as well as space for an adventure golf course and golf-pod style driving range.

According to the BDBC website, the proposed location would "avoid the need to use land where the facilities used by clubs at Down Grange Sports Complex are located and protects the natural landscape of this area at Down Grange.

"However, we are also intending to reserve space at Basingstoke Leisure Park to provide an alternative location for the adventure golf course and golf-pod style driving range facilities, should it prove a better option to run these facilities from this location rather than Down Grange.

"This will be better understood once further detailed work is undertaken. "

The proposal has faced criticism from residents and sports clubs who use the facilities at Down Grange.

"We know how important green spaces are for our residents and our aim, if these proposals move forward, would be to maintain public access for residents and dog walkers around the pitch and putt course, which is proposed on a small part of the green space at Down Grange," the council's statement continued.

"We will continue to work with specialists to identify design solutions that would maintain public access to this area while keeping everyone safe as well as looking at wider improvements that could be made to public open space at Down Grange.

"It is not the intention to enclose or close off any area to the public, although we may need to include some safety netting in places. Lots of existing municipal golf courses are located on public open co existing with other uses and with unrestricted access.

"We will be sharing more information about our proposals, including initial concept designs, on this page shortly. We want to hear what you think – come and speak to us between 3pm and 8pm on Wednesday 10 September at St Mark’s Church, Homesteads Road, RG22 5LQ."

Further public consultation exploring potential issues such as impact on the local road network, alongside statutory consultees, would be a central part of the planning permission process if an application is submitted for the site.

Once detailed investigation work has been completed, a planning application for the reprovision of facilities currently at Basingstoke Golf Centre would be progressed alongside Great Wolf’s work to submit a planning application for the potential redevelopment of the site.