Peel chairman makes direct appeal to opponents of £240m Ryder Cup golf course

Hulton Park proposals

The billionaire chairman of Peel Group John Whittaker has made a rare public statement in a direct appeal to opponents of a planned £240m Ryder Cup-standard golf course and more than 1,000 homes on green belt land on the outskirts of Bolton.

Whittaker’s comments come a week before the town’s planning committee meets to decide on the application at the grade II-listed Hulton Park Estate.

The ambitious plan includes an 18-hole championship golf course, 1061 homes and a luxury hotel.

Peel is hoping the course will be a contender to host the 2026 Ryder Cup.

In a statement Whittaker said: “Hulton Park is a crumbling treasure in desperate need of major investment. At Peel, we want to restore the park and build world-class golfing, tourism and community facilities, giving the area a real boost.

“The development will be at the heart of the local community, providing local jobs and training, community events and facilities, public nature trails and much needed new housing.

“I firmly believe that our vision for the park respects its heritage but will give it a new lease of life for the 21st century.
“Our ambition, working alongside a wide range of partners, is for Hulton Park to host the Ryder Cup — one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

“A spectacle on this scale would showcase Bolton on a global stage and cement Greater Manchester’s position as the sporting capital of the UK.”

More than 1,500 objections to the plan have been delivered to Bolton Council. Some 826 were from members of the campaign group Hulton Estate Area Residents Together (HEART) and 759 were lodged last year.

Hulton Park Estate was the home of an aristocratic family who lived in Bolton for almost a millennium until the death of the last in the line, Sir Geoffrey Hulton in 1990s.

The family was the inspiration behind Julian Fellowes’ creation for TV, Downton Abbey.

Fellowes is a direct descendant of the Hultons. His great grandmother was Maria Isabella Hulton who married Professor John Wrighton, the founder of Downton Agricultural College near Salisbury in Wiltshire.

The park was acquired by Peel in 2010 when the estate was brought onto the market.

It was the scene of the Pretoria Pit Disaster of 1910 when 344 boys and men died in a mining disaster on the park edge.

Whittaker added: “Our team at Peel Land and Property has listened carefully and worked hard to address infrastructure and environmental issues. I can promise that, if we are permitted to proceed with the project, Hulton Park will be a development that local people can be proud of.

“Our track record of supporting and regenerating local communities across the North West is a long one — from MediaCityUK, RHS Garden Bridgewater and TraffordCity to Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters.

“Each scheme, in its own unique way, has a positive impact on people’s lives, not just today but for many years to come.

“At Hulton Park, we want to create a new model for sustainable golf and tourism facilities. Rescuing it from decay is an amazing chance to invest in the future, creating new opportunities for young people and a positive legacy for future generations.”

Bolton Council’s planning committee will  discuss the application when it meets on Thursday, March 1.

 

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close