Register Your Interest

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions about our plans, check below to see our frequently asked questions and answers. For all other questions, please visit our contact page.

In July 2020, the Secretary of State for Housing and Communities, Robert Jenrick MP, approved the planning application for a championship-grade golf course complete with luxury hotel and 1,036 homes in Westhoughton, subject to the condition that the Peel L&P secure a bid to host the Ryder Cup competition in 2031 or 2035.

Since the approval of the application from Bolton Council in March 2018, Peel L&P has been reviewing the feedback provided by the community alongside progressing discussions with Ryder Cup Europe and UK Sport over the Ryder Cup selection process for 2031 or 2035. The venue has now been shortlisted as a potential candidate and following discussions with partners and the taking account of previous community feedback, Peel L&P is now redesigning certain aspects of the scheme in order to deliver a project that is locally focused and reflects the views of local stakeholders and the community.

Whilst the application for the proposals was granted by the Secretary of State in July 2020, we wanted to incorporate the valuable ideas and suggestions submitted since the initial pans were produced. The plans have also been refined to reflect feedback from the Ryder Cup selection process.

Following careful consideration, Peel L&P is now redesigning certain aspects of the scheme based on local feedback in order to deliver more green spaces and enhance community enjoyment of the development.

Following the approval of the planning application last year, Peel L&P has taken time to reflect on the feedback from residents and elected members to bring forward a refreshed vision which we believe reflects local aspirations for Hulton Park.

Against this background, whilst the scheme includes much of the consented elements, a number of potential changes are proposed, which we believe directly address feedback from the community around housing mix, connectivity, green spaces and access to Hulton Park. In summary, these changes include:

  • A redesigned golf course and housing offer, which has been achieved by incorporating further land to the west for housing, which is not in the Green Belt;
  • A golf course that responds to feedback through the Ryder Cup selection process, is more sensitive to the historic core of Hulton Park and is capable of hosting the most successful Ryder Cup competition ever;
  • An increased site area covering land to the west at Lee Hall/Chequerbent adjoining Hulton Park, to integrate this land into the Masterplan and resolve longstanding questions over its future use. The number of new homes across both areas is yet to be finalised but will be fewer than the 3,000 previously identified across both sites, reflecting a reduced density and a shift in focus towards green spaces;
  • A more relevant and respectful vision with fewer homes in the Green Belt;
  • Less golf in the historic park which provides an opportunity for an enhanced course design;
  • More retained parkland in the historic core;
  • Extensive areas of natural, green open space supporting opportunities for wildlife projects and a significant biodiversity net gain;
  • Increased planting and landscaping throughout the site, as well as more ponds and lakes;
  • Improved community access throughout Hulton Park through new and improved cycle and pedestrian connections, ensuring that the local community is able to access and enjoy the development;
  • A broader range of house types to reflect local housing needs, including affordable homes, family housing, aspirational homes and homes suitable for those looking to downsize;
  • Opportunities to create space within the historic core of the Park for attractions and events;
  • Promoting a strong sense of stewardship through opportunities for involvement in the development, for example through a farm shop, local supply chains and land management;
  • Creation of a new road link as a Park Avenue connecting the M61 Junction 5 with North Road to the south and providing congestion relief to Westhoughton; and
  • Net zero carbon through sustainable design, low carbon energy opportunities and sustainable forms of transport in response to climate change.
  •  
  •  

A new road will be built to serve the site which will run between A6 Manchester Road and Platt Lane/North Road close to the existing railway bridge. The new road will be known as Main Avenue. It will replace the part of Platt Lane which is proposed to be closed to accommodate the enhanced golf course. An extension of this new road to the north, between Manchester Road and Junction 5 of M61, is also being considered and the need for this section of the road will be determined as the proposals are considered in detail. The design of the new roads will be agreed with Bolton Council, the local highway authority, and, where necessary, Highways England who are responsible for the motorway network.

 

Main Avenue (the new road) will provide access to many of the parcels of development on the site, including the residential dwellings at Chequerbent Bank, Deer Park Row, Great Chequerbent and South Chequerbent. It will also provide access to some of the other uses proposed such as the Health and Well-Being Hub, Local Centre, Primary School and Chequerbent Barns. Junctions will be provided on to Main Avenue and these will be designed taking account of the predicted traffic flows. The designs will be agreed with the Council.

 

In common with the consented scheme at Hulton Park, some of the parcels of development will be accessed from the existing road network. These include the main access to the golf resort and academy which will be served by junctions on A6 Manchester Road. The existing access to Hulton Park on Newbrook Road will remain gated and used occasionally for ceremonial use associated with the hotel eg for weddings (the wedding party). The residential areas at Dearden’s Farm and Park End Farm will be accessed from Manchester Road and Broadway/Wooodlands Drive respectively.

Yes these are being considered. The extensive and detailed work on the consented scheme recognised the traffic problems in the area and proposed solutions which were agreed with the Council’s highways officers and Highways England and which were ultimately accepted as being appropriate by the Secretary of State.

 

For this new planning application, the new Main Avenue road described above will have much the same effect as the link road proposed for the consented scheme – by managing traffic differently at Chequerbent roundabout it will reduce delays and the congestion that occurs, particularly in the evening peak period. It will also significantly reduce traffic flows on the northern section of Platt Lane (north of where Main Avenue crosses it) and traffic conditions will improve significantly at the Park Road/Platt Lane junction. The new road will be the main highways improvement proposed by the scheme and will largely mitigate many of the impacts resultant from the additional traffic flows generated by the site.

 

Elsewhere, traffic impacts are being considered in detail and where necessary, highways improvements will be designed to mitigate the impacts of additional traffic flows. Improvements are likely to be needed at similar locations to those proposed for the consented scheme including at Junction 5 of M61 and Four Lane Ends. The detailed technical work to establish exactly what is needed to accommodate the traffic flows generated by the proposals is on-going but ultimately it will need to be reviewed and agreed by the Council and Highways England. All of the work will be reported in a comprehensive Transport Assessment.

 

As well as highways infrastructure improvements, Travel Plans will be prepared for the proposed uses which will set out measures to encourage the use of active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport. The design of the site itself and the proposed mix of uses will encourage residents to travel locally within the site and on foot or by bike.

 

The Ryder Cup will be attended by a large number of spectators although the vast majority of these will not be able to access the site by car, instead using the train, bus or bespoke park and ride and park and walk facilities. A specialist event planner has been engaged to develop these plans which will ultimately be refined in conjunction with local stakeholders including the Council and the emergency services. The impacts of the vehicle movements associated with the Ryder Cup will be assessed in the Transport Assessment noted above.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be completed. This will assess the effects the proposals could have on landscape character, visual amenity, biodiversity, traffic, air quality, noise, water quality, contamination, climate change, socio-economics, and human health.  Mitigation measures will be identified and implemented to reduce adverse effects on the environment.  In many instances, beneficial impacts may arise as a result of the proposals e.g. increased employment opportunities.  The results of the environmental assessments will be presented in an ‘Environmental Statement’ which will be submitted with the planning application.

The proposed championship golf resort and new community at Hulton Park in Bolton, Greater Manchester, has been shortlisted as a potential venue as part of England’s bid to host the Ryder Cup in 2031 or 2035. It follows a feasibility study, jointly-led by Ryder Cup Europe and UK Sport, which appraised the suitability of a number of venues across England, as part of Ryder Cup Europe’s wider consultation process to find European host countries and venues for both future editions of the biennial contest.

The feasibility study concluded that the planned Peel L&P development has the potential to meet the required criteria for hosting a future edition of the Ryder Cup, and it will therefore be one of the shortlisted courses for England’s bid.  When England’s bid is made to Ryder Cup Europe it will be considered alongside several other interested European nations for the 2031 and 2035 events. Ryder Cup Europe is not expected to make a decision on the chosen host countries until later this year.

The revised planning application is to be submitted in summer 2021 and will have a decision period of 16 weeks.

Subject to securing planning permission and being selected for hosting the Ryder Cup, the proposals would then progress to detailed design and procurement. Construction would be expected to begin in 2023. The venue would be open for business 3-4 years ahead of the Ryder Cup and used for smaller tournaments and events in the run up the main event.

The new homes would be constructed over a longer period in the different proposed Village areas, on a phased basis to fit with the Ryder Cup programme.

Register Your Interest

If you are interested in the proposals, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete the form below to register an interest and we will keep you up to date as the plans progress.

By registering your interest as part of this proposed planning application, you agree that your submission can be passed to the Local Planning Authority as part of the planning application process.