Plans for crazy golf course at Walsall club set to be approved

Walsall Council’s planning committee is expected to approve a proposal for a new facility to be built at Calderfields Golf Academy Driving Range, in Aldridge Road, when it meets on Thursday.

Developers said the new facility, which would include the adventure course and a new administration building, would create six new jobs.

They added the new development would complement the existing driving range and a short golf course, which has been recently built on the site.

But the proposals have been met with a string of objections – with many arguing the development would harm the greenbelt area the range is based in.

Other objectors said it would also have a negative impact on the existing 18-hole course, which is run independently to the driving range, and wouldn’t succeed in encouraging young people to the sport. The range is based near Calderfields Hotel Golf and Country Club.

The proposed openings hours would be weekdays 9am to 10pm and weekends 8am to 8pm every week, with six people employed to work shifts.

Spooner Architects, who are representing Calderfields, said: “The proposals are to provide a family-based adventure golf area together with an administration centre, to complement the existing golf driving range and recently completed golf short game practice area.

“The aim being to encourage junior golf within the borough, and utilise the teaching facilities that already exist within the academy.

“It was first considered that the existing golf shop would administer the proposed adventure golf, but that gave rise to issues of access to the adventure golf, which would have meant walking through the golf driving range to the starting point, which not only inconvenient, but also dangerous, crossing teaching bays and maintenance area.”

Planning officers said national guidelines stated that development for outdoor sport and recreation on Green Belt land was considered appropriate and wouldn’t cause any harm.