Pitch & putt decision expected this week

A consultation on Meole Brace Pitch & Putt, Shrewsbury, was held earlier this year, featuring a number of options, including selling the site.

Shropshire Council currently owns the pitch & putt course, which is next to Meole Brace Golf Club.

The council's cabinet members will take their decision on the site in a closed-doors session of the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

George Candler, Shropshire Council's director of place and enterprise, said the cabinet members would be taking the consultation responses into account for their decision.

He said: “At their meeting in November, Shropshire Council’s cabinet agreed to consult on three potential options for the future of the pitch and putt course. These were: the potential sale/transfer of the site; that Shropshire Council continues to operate and subsidise the pitch and putt; that an alternative use for the site is found that would benefit the local community.

“A public consultation on the three options was carried out between December and February 2017 and the council also sought the views of key stakeholders. The responses received will be considered by cabinet at their meeting on March 22 before a final decision is made about the future of the site.”

Councillor Alan Mosley, leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, said that if the site is sold he would want to see the recreation land replaced.

He said: "It is not controversial to sell it off as long they replace the recreation ground elsewhere.

"I think there has been a general agreement for a number of years that given the low level of usage of the pitch & putt that this land might be made available for development."

When the council announced that it was considering the future of the site it was revealed that its sale could generate a "significant capital receipt.

A report from Tim Smith, the council’s head of business enterprise and commercial services, said that the number of people using the pitch & putt has fallen in recent years.

It stated: “The overall usage of the facility is down by 1,000 visits in the last four years, from a peak of 2,590 in 2011. The area of the course is well located in terms of physical infrastructure and accessibility being adjacent to the inner ring road and the Meole Brace roundabout which serves one of the major routes into the Shrewsbury town centre.

“There is potential for an alternative use on the site which could generate a significant capital receipt should it be declared surplus to the council’s requirements.”