basildon golf course

[baldowrie]

Not on our Golf Course! 'Improvements' by Jack Barker Golf at Risebridge Golf Course, Romford.

As part of the ‘improvement’ of Basildon Golf Course, Basildon Council has approved plans drawn up by 'Jack Barker Golf' to import 120,000 cubic metres of ‘inert landfill’ in phase 1 alone; a large tipper lorry can carry 15 cubic metres so this is the equivalent of 8,000 lorry loads. The landfill will be used to create a driving range and to start the process of creating mounds of earth up to 6 metres (20 feet high) between the fairways, replacing hundreds of semi-mature trees which will be destroyed. We believe that the total amount of landfill to be imported is 312,000 cubic metres (20,800 lorry loads).

We object to these plans for the following reasons.

1. Professionally designed in 1967 on land now owned by Basildon District Council, Basildon Golf Course is on undulating green-belt land within a mile of the town centre. Its fairways are lined with trees and it is home to a wide range of wildlife. In the view of experienced golfers, the course itself does not need improving in the way that the developer describes.

2. In the Phase 1, the developer plans to create a driving range constructed from the imported material. On the north side there will be a steep bank of earth some 300 metres long and some 6 metres (20feet) high – roughly the height of the guttering/eaves on two-storey houses. This bank will be less than 50 metres from the boundary with residential properties. On the south side the infill of material will extend to meet the side of the natural hills. The total area to be filled with inert landfill is approximately 300 metres by 200 metres.

3. In our view the demand for the driving range has not been proven. Basildon Golf Course already has two fields that are used for driving practice. At nearby Langdon Hills Golf Club (which has three golf courses and residential accommodation) the driving range was recently closed because of lack of demand. There is a driving range less than 3 miles away (at the Belvedere) while two further ranges are within 6 miles (at Dunton and at Rayleigh). During two visits to Jack Barker's Risebridge Course at Romford (a Sunday afternoon and a Monday morning), the range there was deserted. Were a demand for a driving range at Basildon Golf Course to be established, we believe that the size, the location and the method of construction could all be improved.

4. If Phase 1 goes ahead, we believe that there will be hazards to health through dust and smaller (more hazardous) particulates, and through additional traffic congestion outside the nearby University Hospital. We believe 167 free standing semi- mature trees will be lost (plus many more that form two 'screens' of trees) and that wildlife will be killed. Thus both the lungs and arteries of Basildon are threatened.

5. Although Natural England (a statutory consultee) no longer objects to Phase 1, they have made it clear that they will object to the development as a whole.

6. Phase 1 may also cause problems in terms of flooding. The area proposed for the driving range is at a bottom of a long low natural hill and some who have lived in the area since the adjacent houses were built can remember flooding in nearby streets and houses following heavy rain. Subsequent drainage work on the golf course and to the rear of residential gardens means that there have been few problems in recent years, but residents fear that the introduction of such a large volume of material could once again cause major problems.

7. Phase 1 is due to last 18 months and will involve dumping and the use of heavy machinery. All nearby residents will be at least inconvenienced, but some with health problems will be trapped in their homes and unable to enjoy their gardens. A lady in her mid 70s, already on oxygen 16 hours a day because of tuberculosis earlier in her life, is one such person.

8. If the range is constructed, residents fear that there could be problems from floodlighting and from stray golf balls.

9. Elsewhere, similar proposals to improve golf course have been rejected by local authority officers and Planning Inspectors because the excessive volumes of imported material have been seen to be ‘waste dumping’ rather than genuine improvements. This is one of the reasons why we believe that the planning process which resulted in these decisions has been flawed, and we are therefore hoping to raise sufficient funds for a Judicial Review. However, even if we are successful, Basildon District Council will only be required to review their decision. We hope that you will support us in persuading them to change their minds: we know that other organisations are interested in leasing the course and improving it without changing it for ever with huge quantities of landfill.



http://www.basildongolfcourselp.com/


Glad I don't live near there any more

[the.fee.fairy]

That's a scary thought - what exactly is inert landfill? Are we talking stuffing the land with plastic bags?

There are some ishers who do live near there i think, so we'll see what they have to say about it too!

[baldowrie]

what exactly is inert landfill

that's the question that isn't being answered