Plans submitted to turn unused golf course in Brinkley into holiday lodging
Plans have been submitted to turn an unused golf course into a holiday camp with 19 lodges – despite similar plans being rejected on several previous occasions.
Applicant Denmar Property Developments Ltd submitted plans to turn the old nine-hole Orchards Golf Course, northeast of Fiskerton Road in Brinkley, into a holidaying area.
The site lies around 1.5 kilometres southeast of Southwell and is next to football fields.
Separate approval was given in 2017 for a new clubhouse and up to six holiday lodges on the site, but the current application seeks to increase the number to 19.
Similar proposals by the applicant were rejected in 2019, 2021 and 2022 for reasons including the development not being sensitive to the rural surroundings or character.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has also previously said the site is not accessible by sustainable transport or within walking distance of Southwell.
Current plans say existing derelict buildings at the site would be removed, and timber-style lodges would be brought onto it.
Proposals also include parking areas, fishing lakes, a reception building with bike storage and an overspill car park for the nearby football ground.
Points raised by pre-application advice in September 2024 suggested a reduction in the size of the site.
For better access to Southwell, planning papers read: “The applicant has stated it will enter into an agreement with the local authority and or private landowners to clear and uprate Crew Lane in order to provide an easy and accessible route from the site direct into Southwell.”
To create a more sustainable site, the applicant also wants to include an on-site cycle hire scheme for visitors.
On the authority’s website – under tourism – it states the district council will work with local businesses to ensure more people visit the district and stay overnight.
In the applicant’s ‘Tourism Need Statement’ it highlighted there are only five identified locations around Southwell offering camping or lodge accommodation.
Papers say: “The proposal gives a further high quality 19 units. So, the need for further tourist accommodation can only add to the number of visitors adding to the economy of Southwell and the surrounding area.”
A public right of way is located to the north of the site, connecting Southwell to Fiskerton Road.
This is expected to remain if Newark and Sherwood District Council approves the plans at a later date.
