Housing plans stalled over golf ball strike risk

Plans to build a new housing development near a golf club have stalled over concerns balls could strike residents.

LR Developments (NW) Ltd submitted a proposal to build 33 new homes on Lynton Road in Southport, Merseyside, and hoped its plans would be approved by Sefton Council's planning committee.

But there were several objections to the plans when they were presented at Bootle Town Hall, including a petition signed by 195 local people and a representation by Hillside Golf Club about the risks posed by "errant" golf balls.

LR Developments Ltd said it had produced an "extensive assessment" of the risk.

Councillors had been asked to approve the project subject to conditions including a £185,740 payment to mitigate the lack of affordable housing on the scheme.

But the dispute with the developer and golf club took up most of the committees' time, before councillor John Kelly proposed an adjournment to the meeting so all objections could be considered in more depth.

John Nichols, who submitted the petition, said the development would have "a detrimental impact on the community".

Rory Mates, a board member at Hillside Golf Club, he said: "It is concerning that the report from the planning officer seems to completely misunderstand the risk of golf ball strikes."

LR Developments said Hillside had been "afforded every opportunity" to engage with the application.

"Our golf ball assessment, which was a survey on the back of legal advice, found hardly any golf ball actually on the site," said spokesman Colin Williams.

He added the report used a professional golfer and a golf course designer.

There were also concerns raised about how the development would impact traffic and road safety issues around the junction of Waterloo Road.

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