Fresh plans in for developments at Northumberland's Alnwick Castle Golf Club

Variation applications have been submitted to Northumberland County Council in relation to the previously agreed schemes for a new clubhouse and greenkeepers’ store – both necessary given the approval for new housing on the current car park and clubhouse site.

The Northumberland Estates received outline permission for 10 homes on this plot, off Hope House Lane, in December 2016.

This was followed by Lindisfarne Homes being given the go-ahead for its reserved matters application by seven votes to four at the October 2018 meeting of the North Northumberland Local Area Council.

But a new full planning application for 10 detached four and five-bedroom houses was lodged in May 2020, based on the existing approved layout, but with three new house types and an amended design of the fourth house type.

The submission explained that these were ‘minor alterations’, but planning law does not allow for the variation of conditions imposed on a reserved matters application.

Nonetheless, the latest bid sparked five objections from neighbours as well as opposition from Alnwick Town Council, but it was approved under delegated authority by planning officers in October.

The Estates is now seeking to vary the permission for the new clubhouse, for an area of grassland to the north of the 12th green and east of Close Cottage on the Rugley Road, which was granted in December 2018.

If approved, the new clubhouse would be smaller than originally planned, with reduced changing, toilet, bar and dining/function spaces, and would no longer have accommodation in the roof space on the first floor.

The overall plot would also be reduced, meaning a slight reduction in parking spaces, from 78 to 65, and the loss of a gravel overflow area.

In August 2018, the local area council also approved a new greenkeepers’ store, a steel-framed shed, which also has to move to free up the housing site, and this too is being amended, including the provision of nine parking spaces rather than just an informal area.

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