Peel set to appeal against Bolton Council’s Hulton Park decision

Peel L&P is planning to appeal against Bolton Council’s decision to reject its £240m proposals to redevelop Hulton Park into a new Ryder Cup-standard sports venue. The proposals included thousands of new homes, as well as a golfing academy, a health and wellbeing hub (pictured below), food and entertainment spaces, a village hall and community allotments. In February, the council’s planning committee went against officers’ recommendations to approve the plans, which had been revised to reduce the number of homes being built on greenbelt land, as well as adding transport and environmental improvements. The council had previously approved earlier plans in 2018, with the scheme gaining approval from the secretary of state in 2020. The project was conditional on Hulton Park securing the rights to host the Ryder Cup tournament in 2031 or 2035. Richard Knight, director of planning and strategy at Peel L&P, said: “We already have planning permission to redevelop and restore Hulton Park following the secretary of state’s approval in 2020, so we were very disappointed that Bolton Council refused our revised and improved scheme as it takes on board more local feedback and really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in Bolton and level up the region. “This level of investment will only happen if Hulton Park secures the Ryder Cup, and we remain committed to securing support for the development as we know the extent of the benefits it will bring to Bolton and the North West. These include better housing choices, more jobs, improved transport, new health and wellbeing facilities and a golfing academy for the entire community. “It is an ambitious scheme but one that Bolton deserves and needs. We want local people to be proud of what their town can achieve and get behind these revised plans as opportunities like this do not come along every day and the benefits will last a lifetime.” Mike Blackburn, chair of Marketing Manchester, said: “The hopes of the North West hosting the Ryder Cup at Hulton Park in 2031 or 2035 remain very much alive. I believe this is a prize worth fighting for, and I look forward to a positive outcome. “If Hulton Park does gain planning consent and is selected to host one of the world’s greatest sporting competitions, Bolton and the wider region would see substantial benefits in terms of in-bound tourism for many years to come, as well as creating some outstanding community facilities benefiting the local community.” To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@eg.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @EGPropertyNews View other planning applications in Bolton on EG Radius >> Photos © Peel L&P