Why a planning change could be a lifeline for club owners, writes Ian Barnett, Group Land and Development Director, LRG.
London’s latest planning proposals have put golf courses in the spotlight. In the consultation on the new London Plan, the Mayor suggests that some areas of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), including certain golf courses with limited public access and low recorded biodiversity, could be assessed for release for housing.
For golf club owners this is not just a London story. It is a signal of how policy could change nationally, and of the choices that clubs across the country may face in the future. So is this a slow squeeze on courses at the urban edge, or an opportunity to secure the future of your club on better terms?
I would argue, based on considerable previous experience, that it can be the latter, but only if owners approach the new policy context with an open mind and good advice.
A new mood on open land
Golf courses have long sat in a grey area in planning terms. Many are within the Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land. They are clearly not ‘undeveloped’ in a strict sense, yet in some respects they look and feel like open countryside. For years that has meant strong policy protection, with only limited scope for change.
The London Plan consultation shifts that balance. It keeps broad protection for MOL, but it also asks whether all such land is doing the job it was designated for. Some courses are not accessible to the wider public. Some have limited recorded ecological value compared with other open spaces. Those are the locations the Mayor has identified as ripe for redevelopment, alongside a requirement for new public access, biodiversity improvements, strong design and a high proportion of affordable housing.
At the same time, the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introduces the idea of the ‘grey belt’ within the Green Belt. In simple terms, this is lower performing Green Belt land, often previously developed or compromised in character, where housing may be acceptable if strict ‘golden rules’ on affordable housing, infrastructure and public green space are met.
Between London’s MOL reforms and the national grey belt policy, a pattern is emerging. Well located, lower performing open land on the edge of settlements is now firmly in the frame for housing, provided it can deliver clear public benefits. Many golf clubs fall into that category.
What this means for golf club owners
In my work I see two common reactions when this subject is raised. Some clubs assume that development is a direct threat to their existence. Others see big numbers and assume they can simply ‘get planning’ and cash out. Both views are too crude.
The real opportunity often lies between those extremes. For some clubs, a full relocation from an increasingly urbanised site to a more suitable edge of town or rural location, funded by residential development, can be transformative. I have advised on schemes where an older, constrained course has moved to a larger, more attractive site with modern facilities, while the original land delivers much needed housing and social infrastructure. Basingstoke Golf Club is one such example where LRG advised on the planning, disposal and the re-location of their club and construction of housing on the old site is now well underway. After exploring several options, the Club successfully re-located to an existing club at Dummer on the opposite side of the M3.
Blue Mountain Golf Club in Bracknell Forest is another such example. The course was surrounded by housing and had clear potential to take further development, including a new school. Working with the owners, we helped to secure a scheme that now provides a popular Golfplex entertainment centre, driving range, clubhouse and parking, alongside 400 new homes and community sports facilities. The club has a viable long term base, the local authority has new housing and a school, and the land value has been realised in a structured way.
Elsewhere the answer has been partial redevelopment. At Maidenhead Golf Course, for instance, land has been allocated for around 2,000 homes while retaining a golf offer, and at the former Reading Golf Course, development and green space have been planned together. In these cases clubs have been able to release part of their land to fund reinvestment in the remainder, often improving the quality of the golf experience.
The importance of site specifics
None of this means that every golf course is a prime development prospect. Far from it. The starting point is not ‘how much is my land worth?’ but ‘what does planning policy actually say about this particular site and what opportunities are there?’.
Key factors include whether the course sits in Green Belt, MOL or ordinary open countryside; how the new London Plan or local plan treats that designation; the recorded biodiversity value of the land; public access; proximity to services and transport, and local housing need. In London, the Mayor’s language around ‘limited biodiversity value’ has already prompted pushback from environmental groups which point to the wildlife interest on many courses. That makes robust ecological assessment essential before any serious strategy is formed.
This is where early specialist advice matters. A good planning and land team will look at the local plan, housing targets, infrastructure commitments and emerging policy changes. They will map constraints, from Sites of Special Scientific Interest to landscape and heritage designations. They will also benchmark local land values and delivery prospects, which is crucial when there are high expectations among members or shareholders.
Choosing the right route to market
Even where the planning story is positive, the way in which a club chooses to engage with developers can make a very large difference to outcomes. Again, there is no single correct model. The right approach depends on appetite for risk, time horizon and long term objectives for the club.
An outright sale of the freehold on an unconditional basis can be quick, but usually delivers a lower price, as the buyer takes on all planning risk. A conditional sale or option agreement gives a developer time to promote a planning application, with the land sold if consent is granted. In return, the club can expect a higher price, but payment may be many years away.
For larger sites such as golf courses, promotion agreements are increasingly common. Under these, a promoter funds and manages the planning process, then takes an agreed share of the eventual sale value once consent is in place. In effect this creates a partnership where both parties have a clear interest in maximising value. For many clubs this can be a balanced way to tap into professional expertise without giving up control too early.
Planning for members, neighbours and rates
Any decision to promote development will have implications far beyond the boardroom. Members may worry about disruption or the loss of a course they know well. Neighbours may fear traffic, congestion or loss of views. Local politicians will weigh all of this against housing need.
Engaging honestly and early is vital. That means setting out why the club is exploring change, how golf provision will be maintained or improved, and what wider benefits the scheme might bring, whether that is public access to new green space, community facilities or better local infrastructure.
Alongside land and planning, owners should not forget business rates. Rating specialists can often secure sizeable savings by challenging rateable values based on a realistic assessment of trade, facilities and comparables. For some clubs, rates savings and a clear land strategy together can be the difference between steady decline and a secure financial footing.
Seeing opportunity in a changing map
The planning map around golf courses is changing. London’s proposed approach to MOL and the national grey belt policy are part of a wider shift in how we balance housing need with different forms of open space. That shift will not suit every club, and it will certainly not turn every fairway into a development site.
For well-located clubs facing rising costs, ageing infrastructure or falling membership, however, it may offer a rare chance to rethink their future on favourable terms. The key is to treat planning as a strategic business issue, seek informed advice at an early stage and approach any potential development as a structured long term project rather than a quick fix.
Used in that way, the new policy landscape can help club owners to protect golf, enhance local facilities and play a constructive part in meeting housing need, rather than simply waiting to see what happens around them.
Leave a Reply