Broome Manor is a fully developed 27 hole golf complex, It has more than 800 Paying members that play week in week out.  It is oversubscribed and there is a waiting list to join. It is also open to anyone (including you) as a pay and play activity. It is available to all age groups both Men & Woman not forgetting our juniors which are among some of the most talented juniors in the south west. The Manor as it is affectionally known is a hive of activity from dawn to dusk and is one of the few activity’s where the Young & Old Male or Female can share equally space and time together pursuing both physical and mental wellbeing in a competitive environment.

The Manor has always made a profit and for many years was used by the council to subsidise other leisure activities in the borough. Its still making a profit today for the leaseholder Twigmarket. However it seems making a profit is not enough, the developer wants to further increase the profit it can make out of the Golf complex by building on 3 holes of the 9 hole course. At the expense of losing a valuable part of the complex for golf.

This is detrimental to both the old & young who need the 9 hole course (as they get older 18 holes can easily be to much & for the young they need to learn and practice) so they are ready to take on the 18 hole course.

The proposed development will not only be detrimental to those who use the Broome Manor Golf Complex. There will be an environmental cost; Replacing green fields and trees with concrete, artificial surfaces, high wires, floodlights and 50 ft fences, increase of single use cars (potentially more than 60 per hour) all of which will substantially increase the carbon footprint of the complex which will have a knock on effect for residence, visitors  and wildlife in the area. The increased frequency of short term traffic on the only narrow approach to the site will not only be a problem for those who play golf, it will be particularly dangerous to local residents, Busy Bees children’s nursery, walkers, runners etc.

 Twigmarket have multiple planning applications to develop the site the worst of which is building 8 artificial football pitches on the last 3 holes of the course. Now we are not against football it’s a healthy sport, however there is no shortage of artificial football pitches available in the borough in fact most if not all would love to have the existing capacity of football pitches as well utilised as is the golf complex. No evidence is supplied for the need for more football pitches in the borough nor any evidence that once built they would be any more successful than others in the area. But  once built the course will be gone forever.

The plans can be seen on the Swindon planning page ref  S/21/0037 .As you will see there are more than 320 letters regarding the application the vast majority are letters of objections. There are many reasons we should oppose the development from ecological to health, from aesthetic to environmental. Take your pick there are plenty to choose from. The Aim of this petition is to raise the required number of 1500 signatures to ensure the council must debate the topic with the aim of having the council instruct the planning department to reject the application. We ask you to please add your name to save this thriving jewel in the crown of Swindon available to all from those intent only on profit rather than the wellbeing & needs of the inhabitants of Swindon.

Thanks in Advance

Nigel Wright