Cheshunt Park Golf Course consultation February / March 2022
A series of planning applications are being prepared in relation to the development of the area known as Brookfield. This includes planning applications for major developments such as Brookfield Garden Village (a new housing development) and Brookfield Riverside (a new town centre), which will also include the development of a new road link.
The proposed redevelopment of the Brookfield area forms part of the adopted Broxbourne Borough Local Plan (section 5, pages 33-44) and is covered by Policies BR1-BR7 and a masterplan for the entire area. Policies cover the Riverside town centre (BR1), Brookfield Garden Village (BR2), relocated uses, transport and movement, the environment and landscape, as well as integrated masterplanning of the various land uses proposed (BR7).
The new road link will connect the existing urban area of Cheshunt to the south with the Riverside development to the east and the Garden Village development to the north. The route of the new road is proposed to cut through the eastern boundary of the existing Cheshunt Park Golf Course, which therefore requires the golf course to be reconfigured in order to maintain an 18-hole offer for its members and users.
Through an extensive period of analysis, the course has been evaluated and remodelled by STRI, a team of specialist golf course architects and designers. The key focus has been on maintaining an 18-hole course whilst enhancing the golfing challenge and surrounding environment. Alterations have been kept minor where possible to retain the integrity of the existing course, but where necessary there are new interventions that allow for the new road. Work undertaken has taken careful account of biodiversity and environmental factors and decisions about how to improve the course have also been based on this analysis. The emphasis has been on minimal intervention to existing habitats and environments, but where it has been required, to provide an enhancement to the biodiversity through native species planting or habitat creation.
Changes to the course include new first and second holes and reconfigured holes on the eastern boundary with a new landscaped ‘buffer’ between the golf course and the proposed new road. The new holes are necessary to retain an 18-hole course and include land to the south of the existing golf course. Loss of existing trees will be minimal, and only where absolutely necessary; they will also be accounted for through a biodiversity net-gain exercise which will ultimately see an enhancement of the biodiversity in the area. The new road application will undertake a similar biodiversity net-gain assessment and compensation in relation to any trees and habitats lost as part of that process.
You can download the plans as PDFs at the links below:
You can view a flythrough the proposed changes to hole one on Youtube.
You can provide feedback on the proposals by completing the feedback form or by emailing BrookfieldPlanning-GolfCourseReconfiguration@strigroup.com