The future of Bath’s Entry Hill and Approach Golf Courses is due to be discussed at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on Thursday, February 11th at which the details of tenders from those wanting to take over and run the sites will be discussed.
What plans are proposed – and whether this means a major change of use – are not known but in the meantime , Ben Reed – the man who launched a petition to prevent their closure – is letting councillors know he will be having his say and presenting the petition when he speaks at the meeting.
In an email – copied to Bath Newseum – he says:
“Dear B&NES cabinet members,
As I’m sure most of you know, the future of Bath Approach Golf Course is due to be discussed at your cabinet meeting next Thursday, 11th February. I’ll be speaking on this at the meeting to present a petition (linked below), and the purpose of this email is to draw your attention to the petition in advance of the cabinet debate.
It would be great if you could take some time between now and the meeting to look at the petition, which shows the strength of feeling against the proposal to pursue a contract with a non-golf operator.
Not only are there a large number of supporters (over 1,300 at the time of writing this email and growing fast, including around 400 in the last 24 hours since publication of the council’s proposal), but the associated comments explaining why individuals have signed show unanimous affection for and a desire to keep the Approach Course open as a golf facility.
Without going into all the points I intend to make in my statement to cabinet next week, there has been no public consultation on the future of the Approach Course, which contrasts sharply with the extensive consultation undertaken last year on Entry Hill Golf Course.
It’s very hard to understand why the council now believes it to be appropriate to change the use of such a sensitive, visible and central site without asking residents and users what they actually want. I believe the petition demonstrates that you may be about to commit to something that virtually no-one wants, which I hope you agree would be a mistake.
I am copying this email to Lucy and Mark, the ward councillors for Lansdown, plus a number of local news sites as I believe this issue is of interest to many others across the city and beyond who may not yet be aware of the proposal to permanently close the Approach Course.”
When a city council decides to change the usage of a much loved public golf course, without consulting its citizens in any way, not golf players, not residents, not walkers, not dog walkers, not allotment owners not ANYBODY.
Then we have a seriously undemocratic process!
When senior members of that same city council refuse to listen to the elected ward councillors, who do NOT share their appetite for a rushed decision and has a clear reason why, and an acceptable solution.
Then we have something bordering on autocracy.
I agree completely with the above comment and will be greatly saddened and dismayed by the loss to commercial interests of the Approach Golf Course.. I will willingly sign the petition if I can find a way to do so.