Peel’s plan for championship golf course and 1,200 homes
PLANS for a championship standard golf course and 1,200 houses on the historic Hulton Park Estate near Bolton are to go on display in the town after being hatched by property giant Peel Land and Property.
The proposal means nearly 3,000 new homes could be built within a short distance if the plan gets the go-head.
Peel is also behind a scheme to build 1,700 homes near to the M61 junction 5 roundabout – known as Chequerbent – between Westhoughton and Bolton.
Included in Peel’s ambitious plan is the creation an 18-hole golf course capable of hosting the Ryder Cup within 10 years, alongside proposals for a new golf academy, luxury hotel, conference facilities and a spa.
Peel bought Hulton Park Estate in 2009 and planning to build the 1,200 homes over a 12-year period at a rate of 100 homes a year.
A spokesman for Peel said the number of houses was not yet finalised and was being informed by continuing design work and consultation.
A spokesman said: “The plans will deliver significant benefits to Bolton and Greater Manchester, including the restoration of a degraded heritage park, a major boost to tourism and sport, new jobs, skills and education opportunities.
“In addition, there will be new homes to help meet local housing needs, and range of health and wellbeing benefits.”
He said that a new ‘Hulton Trail was being proposed as part of a major investment to improve community access.
Peel is inviting the public to view its proposals in more detail at a series of exhibitions starting on Friday between 9am and 5pm at Bolton’s Market Place Shopping Centre.
Westhoughton town council leader and Bolton Council’s transport supremo warned that if the plans go ahead it would “decimate” the area.
“It (the amount of houses) is a huge amount and it really doesn’t bear thinking about,” he said. “How can you possibly put in another infrastructure to mitigate for all of those new houses when the road network is already under such pressure.
“We have heard a lot about this championship golf course, but it would appear that this is entirely dependent on the houses being built – because Peel are not just doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.”
The plan has also drawn criticism from Bolton West Conservative MP Chris Green.
He said that along with Peel, the Labour-controlled Bolton Council should be held to account if the proposals go ahead.
“Bolton Council’s approach to housing seems to be all over the place and is causing a lot of confusion,” he said.
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.
