Golf course plans new hotel and community sports centre (From Knutsford Guardian)

Public support is sought for new hotel and sports centre in Cranage

5:00pm Saturday 7th July 2012 in News By James Wilson

A GOLF course near Knutsford is looking for the support of residents after applying to build a new hotel and community sports centre.

Woodside Golf Club on Knutsford Road in Cranage has submitted the planning application to Cheshire East Council to build a 27-room hotel, along with six ‘garden suites’ and seven homes.

The plans include the provision of community sporting facilities such as a bowling green, tennis courts and cricket nets.

Shaun Devaney, a director at Woodside Golf Club, said the club’s 250 members were behind the plans, but urged the whole community to write in and support the ambitious project in order for the plans to be given the green light.

“It’s great news for the people of Cranage and the local area,” he said.

“We see the future of Woodside as being a community sporting centre. We’re looking at bringing in basketball, netball, cricket nets – trying to cover all the sports.”

Shaun said local residents would be charged £5 a year to be a member of the sports club, but then would pay a ‘nominal’ fee to use the facilities instead of the normal commercial rate.

“Councils have stopped building sport centres because they are short of money,” he said.

“With David Cameron’s vision of the Big Society we feel we are singing from the same hymn sheet – what we are doing is building a sports centre for the people.”

The club is looking to sell the seven housing plots to fund the creation of the new sporting facilities.

The planning statement for the project states that the new hotel is ‘essential to the future of the golf course’.

“Demand has dictated the need for on-site accommodation for guests,” it adds.

“The hotel development will help ensure the continued success of the golf course, create local jobs, generate tourism in the area and provide much- needed community facilities in Cranage, and the construction of the seven new houses are essential enabling works to fund the first phase of the hotel development.”

The golf club said the development will create about 50 jobs when completed – which would be targeted at local residents.

A decision on the application is due to be taken on September 15 at the Strategic Planning Board meeting of Cheshire East Council.

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