The Echo have done a pretty good job on reporting on the various issues involving Lords Golf Club:
A GOLF club has been fined ?7,500 for carrying on with unauthorised landscaping work after it was told to stop.
Lords Golf Club in Rayleigh landed the fine for breaking an Essex County Council stop notice which blocked the club from continuing to import and deposit waste material as it remodelled part of the golf course.
Derek Govey, the 47-year-old director of the club, who lives in Rectory Lane, Battlesbridge, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates? Court yesterday and pleaded guilty on behalf of the club.
The club, in Hullbridge Road, was also ordered to pay ?750 court costs and a ?15 victim surcharge.
and then:
A GOLF club has been told it must remove an earth mound which it has created without planning permission.
During heated scenes at a planning committee, Rochford district councillors angrily acc-used Lords Golf Club in Rayleigh of ?sticking two fingers up? at the council by going ahead with the work The club, in Hullbridge Road, wanted retrospective planning permission for a U-shaped 1.5m-high earth enclosure with 5m-high netting on top, which was built in the summer and is now grassed over.
The applicants said the mound, which is in the driving range, was needed to help keep balls in the practice area.
The club?s planning adviser, Lee Palmer, said Lords would consider appealing against the decision.
Councillors were worried the materials used to build the mound were contaminated.
So after failing to get permission for some massive reshaping of the golf course (which would have required about 43 lorryloads of material a day for 3 years) , the club went ahead and did a small part of the work anyway. they have had to pay ?7,500 fine, and have failed to get retrospective consent.
Now let’s see if they go to appeal…
Some good news for a change!
As reported in Thursday’s Echo. Lord’s Golf & Country Club are hoping to build a small hotel on site…
I think that IF the local residents are content with the proposals then the RDC Planning Dept should give it their blessing.
There is a woeful lack of 4 or 5 star hotel accomodation in the Southend Area and hopefully the hotel will also open a decent restaurant, which Rayleigh desperately needs too!
This sort of development, as long as it is sympathetic and in keeping with the area, will help to boost the local economy by attracting other business to the area.