Holiday park plan for golf course rejected

Plans to create a 120-pitch caravan park at a golf club near Oswestry have been rejected.

The proposals for Henlle Hall Golf Club in Gobowen would have seen the course halve in size from 18 holes to nine to accommodate the new holiday complex.

The planning application received 122 objections from members of the public, local businesses owners and heritage groups including the Woodland Trust, Georgian Group, Oswestry and District Civic Society and Shropshire Parks and Gardens Trust.

It has now been refused by Shropshire Council planning officers.

Concerns had been raised over the loss of the historic parkland setting – which is considered a non-designated heritage asset – and the impact the development would have on the Grade II-listed Henlle Hall and three nearby sections of Wat’s Dyke which are scheduled monuments.

A report by case officer Mark Perry says: “It is considered that the proposed development will have a significant detrimental impact on the character and significance of the non-designated Henlle Hall Park, the grade II listed Henlle Hall and the rural setting of the Scheduled sections of Wat’s Dyke.

“It is considered that the proposed development because of its scale, form and appearance would have an adverse impact on the character of the landscape within which it is located.”

The report said the proposals would result in “a mass of densely packed caravans” on the historic parkland site.

It added that the applicant “has not demonstrated that there would be such a public benefit that would outweigh the detrimental impact caused to the heritage assets”.

Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council objected to the scheme, along with Shropshire Council’s historic environment department.

The trustees of Henlle Park Graveyard had also written to the council to oppose the development, as had the owners of nearby businesses including Henlle Hall holiday lodges and the Lion Quays hotel and spa.

Other consultees, including Highways England, the Environment Agency and Natural England offered no objection to the plans. Historic England did not formally object but said it “has concerns regarding the application on heritage grounds”.

In documents submitted with the application, golf cub owner Ralph Tomley said the caravan park would be managed by a national operator from the existing clubhouse, where guests would also use the restaurant and bar.

It was proposed to construct the holiday park in place of holes 10 to 18, leaving holes one to nine unaffected.

The club opened in 2003 but Mr Tomley said membership had declined in recent years. With four other golf clubs less than 10 miles away, he argued the loss of nine holes “is not going to cause a significant reduction in the provision of golfing facilities in the locality”.

Planning officers agreed with this position, but said it was not enough justification to grant permission.

The report concluded: “There continues to be concerns about the scale of the development in an unsustainable location, the cumulative impact of this and other holiday complex sites in the locality and the impact on heritage assets.”