Plans to convert part of the former Great Denham Golf Course to offices or light industrial units have been submitted to Bedford Borough Council.
The application said the closed course is surplus to requirements despite online claims that a nearby club has long waiting lists.
The proposal relates to the former greenkeepers’ compound on Greenkeepers Road, which includes two buildings and around 550 square metres of floorspace.
The applicants are seeking permission to change the site from its previous use supporting the golf course, which could allow office space, research and development, or small-scale industrial processes that can operate in residential areas without harming nearby amenities.
The golf course closed in October 2020 after the operator’s lease expired. Since then, the wider site has been used for agriculture, with sheep grazing on parts of the former course.
Read: Campaign to save Great Denham Golf Club gathers momentum
Employment opportunities
Planning documents say the greenkeepers’ compound has been vacant since the course closed, and the application aims to bring the buildings back into use and create employment opportunities.
A supporting planning statement argues that the proposal would make use of previously developed brownfield land, help prevent the buildings from falling into disrepair and provide jobs close to existing housing and road links, including the A6 and A421.
The application has been accompanied by a golf needs assessment and viability study examining whether the course could realistically reopen.
The viability report says the local golf market has continued to operate without the Great Denham course since its closure, and concludes there is “strong evidence that the golf course is surplus to requirements”.
The study found several other golf facilities within a 20-minute drive, including multiple 18-hole courses, smaller courses and driving ranges.
However, comments posted on social media claim nearby clubs are heavily oversubscribed.
One person wrote that Bedfordshire Golf Club at Stagsden has a waiting list even to join its membership waiting list, adding that new applicants could face waits of two to two-and-a-half years.
Bedfordshire Golf Club said there is a long waiting list for men, but there is capacity for women and on it’s academy list (which is available for all).
It was also argued on Facebook that the closure of Great Denham had reduced local capacity and that future developments, including the proposed Universal theme park near Bedford, could increase demand for casual golf rounds.
Sport England has said the proposal does not fall within its statutory planning remit but advised the council to ensure any loss of sports facilities is considered against national planning policy and local policies protecting recreation facilities.
More information can be found on Bedford Borough Council’s planning portal, reference 26/00428/COU.
The overall consultation expiry date is Friday, 10 April 2026.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
