Parish council battles to take over Milton Keynes' municipal golf course to save it from development

West Bletchley Parish Council is this week exploring the possibility of Windmill Hill Golf Course being transferred directly to them as a community asset.

The parish would then take steps to secure the facility for the future benefit of West Bletchley residents and golfers from all over MK.

Currently owned by Milton Keynes Council, the scenic site is the subject of a proposal from private developers Evolve Project Management, who want to convert it to nine holes and build houses, a hotel and a sports hub on the rest of the land.

It would then be fenced off to prevent public access.

Protesting residents and golfers have formed a Friends of Windmill Hill Group and are urging MK Council not to sell or lease the facility.

In March they launched a petition, which already has hundreds of signatures, demanding that site remains as a municipal 18-hole course and that any investment should be used to improve it, not develop it for housing.

They say Evolve's plans would lead to only one municipal golf course, Abbey Hill, being left in Milton Keynes to up to half a million people.

And they claim the developer's proposals would lead to traffic congestion of surrounding roads, loss of green open space and damage to the environment.

The community would also suffer from loss of access to a site which has been publicly accessible to local residents for more than 40 years and is used on a daily basis by walkers and dog walkers, they say.

Now West Bletchley parish councillors have vowed to explore the possible transfer of Windmill Hill Golf Course to the council under the Milton Keynes Council Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Scheme.

A spokesman said: "Having noted residents’ concerns regarding the future of the Golf Course, the council committed to undertake actions that will seek to secure this facility for the future benefit of West Bletchley residents and the wider community.

"In addition to seeking transfer of the Golf Course West Bletchley Council also agreed to explore options to secure long-term investment in the site.

"As part of its consideration of these matters West Bletchley Council re- affirmed its commitment to retaining and enhancing open spaces as detailed in the West Bletchley Neighbourhood Plan (2016 - 2026)."

The parish council has a proven track record in seeking to protect both community facilities and open space within the parish. In addition to the transfer of both the Frank Moran Centre and Rickley Park through the CAT programme, it was recently successful in purchasing a large plot of, privately owned, open space.