The substantive proposals for the development of the Leeds Golf Centre in Wike were turned down by the North and East Leeds Plans Panel at its meeting held on the 12th May 2022. Councillors were attracted by the vision of the company to develop access to golf activities to a much wider community and understood the importance for commercial development and profitability in order to achieve this goal. However the case for the development of holiday lodges was not considered sufficiently strong. Special circumstances are required in order to set aside current Leeds Council Green Belt Policy and which would be needed to permit their construction. No very Special Circumstances were evidenced that were considered sufficient to clearly outweigh the resulting harm to the Green Belt.
Leeds Councillors were not averse to appropriate development of the club house and the ranges but these would now have to be subject to a future planning application.
Leeds Councillors’ decision was informed by officers reports, objections from local residents, submissions from the developer and the associated charity.
A recording of the full meeting can be watched at Leeds North and East Plans Panel 12th May.
The public reports informing the meeting including the officers’ recommendation for rejection of the proposals can be accessed at North and East Leeds Plans Panel Documents 12th May.
