A decision on the future of the Entry Hill and Approach golf courses in Bath will be made next week, with recommendations for two separate companies to take on their running.
Entry Hill Golf Course in Bath | Photo © B&NES Council
Two reports will be going before Bath & North East Somerset Council’s cabinet on Thursday 11th February.
A procurement process was launched last August to find a new operator or operators to run the Entry Hill and Approach sites for “community and sporting provision”.
A public consultation was launched in December 2019 to gather views on the future of Entry Hill golf course, which Bath & North East Somerset Council said had experienced a continued decline in visitors and operates at a significant loss.
The Approach golf course was closed at the start of the pandemic and has not reopened.
The reports detail that proposals by both recommended bidders “have met the council’s key priorities for future use of the sites”, though there is concern by many residents that continued use of the sites for golf will not be part of the plans.
A petition to keep the Approach golf course open has already received more than 1,500 signatures.
The council’s priorities for the two sites include contributing to their climate and ecological emergency goals, getting more people more active, ensuring there is leisure provision for all members of the community to engage with, to support health and wellbeing and “to bring communities together”.
Bath & North East Somerset Council says these priorities are in line with Sport England’s 10-year strategy, which helps organisations who deliver sporting provision to recover from the challenges posed by Covid-19 and tackle inequalities in people accessing sport.
Five companies submitted final tenders for Entry Hill and one company submitted a final tender for the Approach site.
More than five golf operators were approached by the local authority during the tender process for the Approach golf course, but it says no final bids were made.
Details of the bidders and their proposals are not being made public until contracts have been awarded due to commercial sensitivities, “in line with the tender procedure”.
At this stage of the procurement process, the council’s cabinet has the option of appointing the highest-scoring bidder or choosing not to proceed with the process.
Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “We want to see Entry Hill and the Approach become places where our communities can become more active, more often and offer wider provision to support people’s health and wellbeing.
“Especially in the wake of the pandemic, it’s our responsibility to make sure sport and leisure provision in Bath and North East Somerset meets the needs of residents now and in the future.
“Any new operator for either site needs to create places that make it easier for people to be active and connect communities, as well as support our climate and ecological emergency goals.
“We will consider these preferred bidders carefully against these criteria when making our decisions.”
The reports going before the council’s cabinet on 11th February can be viewed here.
