Historic golf club facing a new £100,000 fight for its future

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Gatley Golf Club has taken up 18 hectares of grassland and woods off Styal Road since 1912 - forming part of its community for more than 100 years.

Surrounded by local housing, the Stockport club was facing an uncertain future after Hollins Strategic Land lodged plans to build 278 homes on the land, ruling that the site was no longer "economically viable." After campaigners opposed the plans, the application was knocked back during at a tense meeting of Stockport council's planning committee in February - in a ruling decided by just two votes.

At the time, the plan sparked a petition to "save" the golf club from development. But the refusal has now been appealed to the government's Planning Inspector (PI), which has the power to overturn the decision. READ MORE: Stockport council calls for Right to Buy suspension after losing half of social homes The move has caused alarm in the corridors of Stockport town hall, where councillors fear the appeal could cost more than £100,000 and mark the start of a lengthy legal battle.

A council spokesperson said that "the formal appeal process for Gatley Golf Club has officially started, which includes a timeline for how the appeal will proceed." "The council is now notifying all the relevant parties, as required during this appeal process," they added.