£15m offer for Meole Brace Golf Course in Shrewsbury
Saturday 18th September 2010, 11:29AM BST.
Shrewsbury’s municipal golf course could be sold off in a multi-million pound deal after the council revealed it had been approached with an offer.
Councillor Keith Barrow, leader of Shropshire Council, told a public meeting last night that his officers have received an offer from a third party for Meole Brace Golf Course. It is understood to be in the region of £15 million to £18 million.
Councillor Barrow, speaking at the “Join the Conversation” meeting at the town’s Theatre Severn, said offloading the 12-hole parkland course, which also features a pitch-and-putt, was an option the council was considering.
But he vowed there would be full public consultation before any such move was considered.
He also warned that the money received would not be able to be spent on council services and would have to be re-invested in other capital projects.
Councillor Barrow said: “We are doing a complete review of what assets we have got. One of the things talked about was the golf course at Shrewsbury and someone has actually approached us about buying the golf course.
“One of the things I am asking is should we be running a golf course? If we shouldn’t then maybe we should cash in on it.”
Mr Barrow confessed that he was not a golf player and accepted that any plans to sell the course may result in opposition from some people.
BBC Radio Shropshire presenter Eric Smith, who was compering the meeting, asked for a hand poll of audience members over whether the golf course should be sold with the results being about a 50/50 split.
One audience member warned that offloading the course to a private company would be like “selling the family silver”.
And Dave Kilby, of Shropshire Playing Fields Association, said the site was an important area of green space between housing developments and should be protected.
By Russell Roberts
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Bet ya a pound it’ll be sold and houses built on it!
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Excellent, plenty of free parking on match day
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Mmmm, anyone fancy buying a house on there in five years time?
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1. The golf course is a gem for golfers and wildlife and should be retained/maintained for the current purpose.
2. Given its location, it’s surely worth much more than 15-18 million.
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So it would appear that the re assurances we got from the council that the course was safe for at least another 20 years, ( only 3 months ago). Were to say the least wide of the mark and probably just lies.
There isnt just the golf course to consider, there is also the wildlife. Some parts of the course are actually designated as conservation area, due to the wildlife that lives there, especially near the brook.
Also if you own one of the wonderful houses overlooking the brook & course do you want that to become a view of a building site.
We as a town need to get together and fight to save this local facility.
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It sounds as if the council have already made their mind up. They have been trying to sell the land for a while. The golf course is a valuable green space but if they do sell, they will have to come up with answers for the increase in traffic congestion. What other pieces of the ‘family silver’ are they looking at? What happens when everything is sold off and they are short of money?
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So let me get this right. The council is going to sell off something that doesn’t belong to them as it actually belongs to everyone with a view to making a killing for themselves.
I wandered how long it would take for the Thacherites to rear their ugly head.
And what exactly are you going to put there as Shrewsbury is awash with brown field sites as it is.
You had better rethink this one as I don’t think the residents of Condover are going to want the Wiff Waff turning up for a round of crazy golf.
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Our ‘price of everything and the value of nothing’ Council must be smacking their lips. Why do I get the feeling this was probably all part of the game plan as soon as the football ground was first mooted. Just a few hundred tedious objectors who care about their town and their children’s future environment to steam roller over and it’s a done deal.
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To all the people who moan about the course being sold, I ask this very simple question, What do you do to support it? There are very few people playing Golf on that course hence little revenue for the council. The course is a beginners course for people taking up the game before moving onto an 18 hole course with par 5 holes etc, hence more challenging requiring more skill. The course does serve a purpose for the Town but it is a buisnes and like any other buisnes if it is not making money then the owners will not keep it going. The winter is now up on us so lets see how many of you are there from now until April next year?
The answer is simple, more people playing – More revenue for the council- less chance of it closing. Its not rocket science.
However that said for a little more money you can join an 18 hole course with practice range, putting area, bar and one that is kept in good all year round condition! Lets be honest if you are a serious golfer would you rather play the same 9 holes twice or 18 different holes.
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Another piece of the ratepayers silver to go,It was the Gay Meadow,[given away] now the Golf Course the next to go will be Rowleys House, only the Quarry Park left, how long before that goes?
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Shropshire county council selling off the family silver. Not surprised they’re coming to Telford and Wrekin with the begging bowl..
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#8 Must need my eyes tested bill, I see it well used all year and only the snow kept them off last year.
It’s a nice walk for dog owners too.
I thought it was going to be the green lung between Belle Vue and the imminently to be proposed massive house building between Meole and Alaska Business park.
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In answer to Council Leader Keith Barrow’s question “should we be running a golf course?” I can point him towards the facts and not opinions. A golf needs feasability study was recently done by a large sports and leisure consultancy firm, and a quote from its conclusion reads “ALL EVIDENCE POINTS TO A CONTINUED NEED FOR A MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE TO SERVE THE SHREWSBURY AREA”. So Mr Barrow the answer to your question is YES you should be running a golf course. END OF DISCUSSION.
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If the third party have just turned up and offered £15M, then its obvious that its probably worth much more on the open market. And that is re-development price not a golf course price.
We always go on about how we never produce world beating sports men and women in this country. Is it any wonder when the kids have no opportunity to try games like golf and tennis. Its the ‘council estate’ kids who get the chance to play on courses like this where our next open champion might be, not from a prviledged background.
Look at Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters if they had been born in the uk they would never have had the chance to participate in their sports.
As an earlier poster said “the cost of everything the value of nothing” means everything to the bean counters of the world.
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i think its a great asset, and should never be sold, if money is tight sell the pitch and putt bit next to the fitness centre maybe, thats just an acre or so but would still bring in millions (especially for housing) but no way to the whole site, thats too much
its not just golfers, its walkers, joggers, dog owners, wildlife, health, its a park basically and a ‘green lung’ for the town
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same old tories then
not content with selling school playing fields now theyre selling council parks and sports pitches too, no regard for obesity, environment or any of the social benefits of sport for our young people
they are pure scum i cant wait for another election as soon as possible lets get this bunch of tories out now
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I’am very disapointed that this sale is even being considered, I play the course regularly and love it but once again our council will not listen to us mere tax payers, and will just go ahead and sell another real asset for Shrewsbury, it is all about the money and not the services.
PLEASE JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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