Bootle<\/a> Town Hall today, Monday August 18 for R&A\u2019s application, was to ensure that should the application be approved, there is sufficient time for the works to take place on site prior to the Open Championships being held next summer.<\/p>\nAccording to the planning committee chair, there were no representations from R&A at today\u2019s meeting as the company felt everything was covered in the council report.<\/p>\n
The report notes the aim of the plans is to improve the existing practice tee, adding: \u201cThe works include the erection of new fencing and gates around the teeing area, introduction of new landscaping, re-profiling works of the land and the diversion of the existing track which cuts through the site which is a public right of way.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Marsden is a Birkdale resident who has consistently objected to R&A\u2019s plans. Mr Marsden was in attendance at today\u2019s planning committee and presented a five minute speech to the elected members and the council\u2019s planning officers, he said: \u201cThere is overwhelming public opposition to this application.<\/p>\n
![\"Sefton](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_WhatsApp-Image-2025-08-18-at-171222.jpg\")
Sefton Council’s planning committee convened at Bootle Town Hall(Image: LDRS)<\/p>\n
\u201cR&A has not come close to justifying why it is essential for it to take over part of our public park. If this application is approved, it establishes a very worrying precedent that our public parks are at the disposal of commercial interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Marsden added: \u201cIf this proposal goes ahead, the area will no longer be worth visiting, and this amenity will be lost to them. Other parts of the common are not accessible for many. One wheelchair user objecting to this application tells me he can\u2019t manage the gravel paths on the rest of the common.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn conclusion, there is a widely held public perception that unelected officials at Sefton Council have green lighted this application from the beginning, they are now attempting to bulldoze it through using this urgent referral committee, despite overwhelming opposition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would urge the committee not to bow to R&A\u2019s bullying tactics and its ridiculous claim that failure to commence work by September could put the whole Open tournament at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sefton Council\u2019s planning team presented the local authority\u2019s report into R&A\u2019s application and recommended the proposals should be approved, stating: \u201cThere is a very significant benefit to the borough in hosting The Open. The last time it was held here in 2017, it attracted over 230,000 visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis development would help to improve the quality of the golf course and ensure that it remains in the position to attract world class events such as The Open.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe space taken by the proposal would be less than one hectare while the overall space within the common is in excess of 20 hectares. That is less than 4% total. The proposal will include realignment of the public right of way, ensuring continued access to the common.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, there were a number of councillor objections to the application which were heard during the committee hearing. First to be heard was a message from Cllr Simon Shaw whose objections were presented to the committee via Cllr John Pugh.<\/p>\n
Cllr Shaw\u2019s message stated: \u201cThe final proposed site plan drawings, including the following worrying statement in relation to the light blue line denoting the metal fence, says a fence around the practice tree will be erected with gates which could potentially allow the area to be accessible to the public for periods in between championships potentially accessible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat on earth does that mean?<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the R&A are genuinely sincere about allowing access for 90% of the time, then surely the solution is to remove the fencing they currently propose, and instead simply erect temporary wooden stake fencing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Pugh also had his own objections which he presented to the committee, but first made clear his support for The Open and Royal Birkdale. Cllr Pugh said he recognises its positive contribution to the borough and the wider Liverpool City Region, but added: \u201cThis is not the way to resolve a controversial planning matter which could have and should have gone to the full planning committee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Pugh continued: \u201cI would be surprised that in accommodating a four day Open Championship, they can see a case for erecting a six foot permanent all year fence, and in the process denying public access to historic common land. I\u2019d be surprised if they can see an obvious case for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fence wasn\u2019t in the original consultation plans circulated to the public isn\u2019t pictured on the consultation website today. The statement in your papers that\u2019s in keeping with existing common land fencing is patently false. The current fencing separating Hillside holes from the common is appropriate, wooden and 39 inches high.\u201d<\/p>\n
After all representations were made to the committee, the elected members on the panel approved R&A\u2019s application.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An ‘urgent referrals’ planning committee was called at Bootle Town Hall this morningGolfers on the 18th Green alongside…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":355852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4106],"tags":[28276,2826,12147,12460,371,79,83701,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-355851","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-birkdale","9":"tag-golf","10":"tag-regeneration","11":"tag-sefton-council","12":"tag-southport","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-the-open-championship","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115053460512296088","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Golfers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_The-Open-Championship-Royal-Birkdale-Golf-Club-in-Southport-Merseyside.jpg\")
Golfers on the 18th Green alongside the Art Deco clubhouse. at Royal Birkdale. The Open Championship 2017(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)<\/p>\n