New group to fight sale of Shrewsbury golf course

More than 60 people attended a public meeting last night to create a community group called Friends of Meole Brace.

It was revealed last week that Shropshire Council was prepared to listen to offers for a 12-hole parkland golf course, although none have been made.

The meeting, at Guildhall, was led by Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Jon Tandy who will chair the new group.

Councillor Tandy said he organised the meeting after he was approached by a number of people who were concerned about rumours of plans to sell off the course and said was taking no chances to ensure the facility was protected.

At the meeting, Councillor Tandy was joined by Shrewsbury Town Council clerk Helen Ball, Shropshire Council chief executive Clive Wright, Councillor Ted Clarke, captain of the golf club Maurice McGrath and former councillor David Farmer.

Councillor Tandy told the audience: "I have called this meeting to ensure that the golf course is not sold without us knowing.

"By creating the Friends of Meole Brace Golf Course group it means that if the council want to sell it they have to let us know first and give us the option to buy it."

Councillor Tandy nominated the site as a community asset and the community right to bid nomination forms were due to be delivered to the council today.

Mr Wright told the meeting that the golf course was making money.

He said: "All our assets are under review in terms of how we, like every council, can save money.

"At the moment there are no plans going forward to sell the course and we are not actively marketing the site for sale.

"There are no immediate plans but, like everything else – for example the car park, the Music Hall, the castle etc – I cannot stand here and tell you that the golf course is safe forever because difficult decisions will have to be made."

Keith Barrow, leader of Shropshire Council, was unable to attend the meeting but insisted in a statement that the sale rumours were false.

He said: "There is absolutely no foundation whatsoever to any of these claims made about the future of Meole Brace Golf Course.

"I'm really surprised to hear this and shocked that it is being spread about, as all it will do is worry the staff over nothing.

"I've said that if we received any good offers we'd have to consider them – it would be foolish not to even consider any offer."

Councillor Barrow added: "But we haven't approached anyone trying to get interest in the site, so I really don't know where all this speculation has come from."