Hundreds turn out to protest against controversial Hoylake Golf Resort

The protest, outside Wallasey Town Hall on Monday, came ahead of an extraordinary meeting called to discuss plans for the Celtic Manor Resort –  which would include a hotel, two golf courses and housing.

A heated meeting saw the motion by the ruling Labour group passed, calling for one of the council's scrutiny committees to "consider all aspects of the scheme", before making representations to cabinet.

Before that, an estimated 250 people had gathered outside the town hall, with signs and banners urging the council to scrap the plans, which are to be led by developers Nicklaus Joint Venture Group (NJVG).

The main opposition is that it’s believed the plans would mean 160 homes being built on green belt land.

Addressing hundreds of people outside the civic offices, campaigner Phil Simpson said: “The council has got into a position where they’ve got Redrow Homes backing them up.

"But we are saying we don’t want [the resort], and we don’t need it. We want to keep our green belt.

“We don’t want to see one house on any part of it. That goes for every single part of our borough.”

What happened at the golf resort meeting?

At the meeting, called by the council’s Conservative group, three motions were put forward and voted upon by each party – two of those looking to “kill off” the plans.

The Conservative entry, proposed by Cllr Chris Blakeley, described “widespread concern” over the proposals, citing “massive public opposition and financial risks to the tax payer” and green belt. It said the cabinet itself has said golf in Wirral is “in decline”, and “strongly recommended” cabinet listened to concerns and withdraw from the scheme “in its entirety”.

Addressing the council, Cllr Blakeley described the development as a “folly”.

He added: “We as elected members have a responsibility to all our electors, as guardians of our green belt.

“We have a responsibility to our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and generations that follow us to protect green belt and open spaces.

“Once it has gone, it has gone forever. Do we want to be seen as weak? As councillors who will not stand up for those who follow us?”

Cllr Blakeley’s motion was defeated by a tight 32 votes to 31.

The Liberal Democrat motion, proposed by group leader Cllr Phil Gilchrist, said it was “no longer reasonable” to put “stretched managerial” capacity into the project. It said prudential borrowing would be “better directed to dealing with the housing market failure”.

Speaking at the extraordinary meeting, Cllr Gilchrist added that the party wanted “housing and infrastructure for people here, and not a project that appears to me to have had its day”. His motion was then defeated by 33 votes to 30.

The Green Party did not put forward a motion, however their Cllr Pat Cleary called the resort “the Hoylake executive housing in the greenbelt scheme”.

He added that by allocating funds that could have been invested where “really needed”, “they’ve demonstrated they “do want to build on the green belt”.

The ruling Labour cabinet’s motion, proposed by council leader Phil Davies, noted concerns over the development, but raised the “wider potential benefits”, including a boost for the local economy, and “revitalising the Hoylake high street”.

The motion called for a special meeting of a council scrutiny committee to “consider all aspects of the scheme”, before making representations to the cabinet.

At the meeting, Cllr Davies raised the benefits of the scheme, also acknowledging concerns made by the council and public.

He said: “We’re duty bound to consider 100s of new jobs, badly needed additional hotel capacity and increased investment in local businesses.

“If we say this scheme should be abandoned it will send a message that Wirral is closed for business. The danger is people will go elsewhere.”

The leader’s motion was carried by 32 votes to 29.

Also at Monday’s fiery meeting, Labour members Cllrs Tony Norbury and Jo Bird both said they were against the plans, but would prefer to fight them from within the party.

Speaking out against her own leader, Cllr Bird said the party needed a leader who “listens and responds honestly and clearly”, adding: “Above all, we need the right decisions made at the right time.”

She then said because it’ll be the next cabinet who will decide on the resort after the next elections – and there will be a new leader choosing it – she would instead vote with her party.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Davies said: “We are pleased the Labour motion was carried by council tonight, which reinforces Wirral is open for business.

“It’s an endorsement for an exciting scheme which will not only help bring in vital funds for Wirral Council, but will also boost regeneration and add to Wirral’s burgeoning tourism offer.”

Leaked email

On Monday, a leaked email from Wirral West MP Margaret Greenwood to all Labour councillors expressing her concern over the plans, and that she had received 560 messages in opposition – and just 31 in favour.

She added that a “local expert” had raised concerns over an increased flood risk, telling members to think “very carefully” about the issues.

Her letter said: “People value the green belt highly for the quality of life it brings and fear the loss of these green spaces.

“I urge you to think very carefully about these issues as you consider the future of Hoylake.”

The party’s Local Campaign Forum has also since voiced its objection.

What will the resort mean?

The project is being developed by NJVG, named after golfer Jack Nicklaus. The development would be run by the Celtic Manor resort in South Wales.

It was first put forward in 2016, with the council having agreed to help the scheme with £26m of prudential borrowing – new powers granted to councils by the government in 2003 to loan money for specific schemes.

That’s alongside the council’s £600,000 – already spent on reports and surveys back in 2016 for the scheme with an overall value of £200m.

Last week, Jim Anderson, chairman of NJVG said the scheme would be a “win-win” for Hoylake.

He said: “The project, when it’s completed, will be completely self-funding. In fact, the council earn out of it.”

The plans would mean a 90-room hotel, health club, spa, two 18-hole golf courses, a golf academy and residential development.

It’s hoped to create 100 jobs in the immediate term, with that figure later rising to 300. It’s also hoped to mean 250,000 visitors annually, and last week, several business leaders from around Wirral, including representatives from UTS Gym, BT Local Business, JD Engineering and the Wirral Visitor Economy Board, backed Labour’s motion and the scheme.

Paul Askew, chair of the board promoting tourism in the borough, said it was an “extremely positive move”, adding: “It is an opportunity to welcome a new era to Wirral and one which we simply cannot afford to let pass us by.

“The resort will of course fly the flag for sport, but it will also create a world-class destination forbusinesses and tourists, which is something that we’re in desperate need of in order to keep moving forward.”

The municipal golf course and hotel are expected to open next year, with the other developments phased until 2027.

Some 4% of the project site is earmarked for housing. It would also include a £7.5m relief road and would also see five power lines taken down at a cost of £5m, paid for by the sale of the houses.

The green belt debate

The meeting comes as the debate over Wirral’s green belt rages on.

The authority has not had a local plan – a blueprint for how an area will grow which is required to be in place by the government – for almost 20 years, and has been given a final warning by the government to finally write one.

But there is dispute over the exact number needed per year. The original government estimate was around 800 every year until 2035 – but more recently, the Office for National Statistics said the figure was closer to 500.

Earlier on Monday, the council’s cabinet again hit out at “top-down” government figures, which are currently enforcing the 803 number, rather than the ONS’ 488.

Cllr Phillip Brightmore told the cabinet meeting at Wallasey Town Hall: “It’s a disgrace the government are forcing housing targets on Wirral Council.

If through recommendations from the call-in, the council can come together to express our disgust to Government and throw away this top-down nonsense.”

At that meeting, recommendations of the council’s environment overview and scrutiny committee were approved, which will mean backbench councillors are given more of a say in the local plan process as part of a cross-party working group.

It will also mean the cabinet member for housing, George Davies, setting out a timetable and programme for publication of all studies, as well as the costs of consultants.