Town Hall Protest Fails to Sway Perivale Golf Course Decision
Opposition 'call-in' raises concerns about closure
Residents rally with Councillors Connie Hersch and Athena Zissimos and Club Captain Leslie Glancy
October 12, 2023
A demonstration by golfers outside a recent council meeting has failed to persuade councillors to reconsider their decision to proceed with closure.
Around 50 members of Perivale Park Golf Course outside Perceval House were joined by local Liberal Democrats who had ‘called in’ the plan to consult on a rewilding scheme that would take over the course.
This gave the opportunity for concerns to be raised about the plan Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 5 October. Leslie Glancy, club captain and Henry Rzepa of the Friends of Perivale Park stressed the benefits the course offers to the local community.
Cllr Polly Newstub, cabinet member for thriving communities, claimed that usage of the course was with an average of 10 users a day and that demand to play could be accommodated by the nearby Brent Valley Golf Course. Supporters of the Perivale Park Golf Course dispute these numbers.
After two hours of debate, the Labour-majority on the panel voted to proceed with the consultation which puts the golf course on a path for closure next March.
A petition against the closure plan has already gathered more than 3,000 signatures.
While being in favour of the council’s plans for a regional park, the Liberal Democrats say that the inclusion of the golf course in the scheme is decision was made in haste with the wrong data, and incorrect opinions about the make up of the kind of people who use the course.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Jon Ball, member of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel said, “Liberal Democrats have heard that Perivale Park is the most accessible golf course in the borough both financially and socially but also in terms of its relatively flat layout which is ideal for older people and those with disabilities. It seems to me that it's possible for a compromise to be found where the golf course remains open but forms part of a regional park.”
The expanded park proposed by Labour would link up to the existing Brent River Park. A six-week consultation into the proposal will begin soon in which residents will have an opportunities to give their views.
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