Peel plays for time with procedural tweak on Hulton Park bid
With a government decision on Ryder Cup hosting now pushed back to 2026, the developer has asked Bolton Council to approve minor works that would keep its consent live.
The local authority’s planning committee meets on 30 January, and will be asked to approve a deed of variation to the Section 106 agreement. Peel wants to build a section of the ceremonial driveway, just 6 metres by 2.2 metres.
As set out by the planning officer report, this would constitute “material operation” and thus secure the consent.
Officers recommend approval, reporting this as legally sound, adding that the land concerned could be returned to its previous state should the event not be awarded.
Background
The planning permission secured by Peel – which won approval twice at appeal – is effectively dependent on Ryder Cup-hosting rights being secured for either 2031 or 2035.
Peel’s consent dates from October 2022, and is a hybrid permission covering full consent for the the golf course and associated facilities, and outline permission for more than 1,000 homes, a primary school and more.
A government decision on the event host is not now expected until next year at the earliest, ie more than three years beyond the consent date. Having an extant consent is a condition of shortlisting.
With Europe hosting the event every four years, Hulton Park is on the shortlist for when England will next host. It is now accepted that 2031 is not realistic, and a decision on 2035 is not expected to happen until 2026 or 2027.
Amidst vocal community opposition, Peel initially secured consent in 2020, winning at appeal after Bolton’s members voted against officer recommendation. The developer then tweaked the plans to lessen Green Belt impact and add more community spaces. Again stymied locally, it won at appeal in October 2022.
Peel’s position and PfE
A Peel Land spokesperson said: “The Ryder Cup process is ongoing and Hulton Park remains shortlisted, but the award of the tournament is not now expected until 2026 or 2027. We are therefore simply seeking to keep the planning permission live in a legitimate way, so that it can be implemented if the Ryder Cup is awarded.
“This entails building a two-metre stretch of the driveway as a lawful implementation of the permission. Peel is requesting that the ‘Ryder Cup restriction’ is varied only to allow this; the remainder of the approved development would remain prohibited until the Ryder Cup is awarded.
“The current applications are not an opportunity to revisit the proposals for Hulton Park. These have been subject to two public inquiries where all matters were fully considered, and permission granted so that the enormous benefits and legacy for the local area could be realised.
“This legacy includes over £1bn of impact, hundreds of jobs, the restoration of the degraded Park, opening up new public access, delivering new highways to address congestion (including the proposed “Park Avenue” bypassing Chequerbent roundabout and relieving congestion), substantial ecological enhancement (will above the minimum 10% target), other new facilities and infrastructure, hosting major events including the Ryder Cup, and much more.”
More or less agreeing with Peel’s position, the planning officer reminds members that since the original consent, Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone development plan has ben adopted.
This explicitly identifies Hulton Park as one of the key assets which will support the success of the Bolton-Wigan Growth corridor. The report said: “Members will be aware that this PfE policy seeks to deliver a regionally significant area of economic and residential development, that will see improved transport links, including new highway infrastructure.” Hulton Park, as something with the potential to bring in large events, is also picked out in the Bolton Visitor Economy Strategy 2024-2030.
Peel’s spokesperson concluded: “The decision to be made is very simple: whether to retain the potential for that investment or not. The consequence of not approving would be that the permission will lapse, which would be a huge setback to the project and to Bolton itself.
“Of course, the permission lapsing would not address the well-established principle that there is a need restore and find a viable future use for Hulton Park. We are therefore urging Bolton Council to ignore misinformation and make a simple procedural decision, in line with its growth plans and stated support for the Hulton Park project, and retain the ability to deliver this transformational project, in the public interest.”
