OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
The Club has reached a stage in its development, when it must provide members and visitors with the long sought-after facilities of a clubhouse, which are now regarded as essential. The Club accepts it must be realistic in its aspirations, appreciate the revenue consequences of a capital development and foster the good relations, which it has established with the Abbey Trustees, College, and local community.
The objective, is to replace the present members hut, which has no services and is in poor repair, with a Clubhouse, which provides changing, toilet and shower facilities, along with space for social activities, an office, kitchen and storage.
The basic requirements are:
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a base, headquarters, and postal address for the Club, which does not exist at present,
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changing, toilet and shower facilities, which are not available at present,
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a “half-way house” facility for rest, refreshment, and toilets, between the first nine and second nine of an 18 hole round,
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a point where members and visitors can meet after golf, matches and competitions,
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a club room for social activities,
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storage for supplies, cleaning materials and equipment,
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an office for Club Officials and staff, and
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a facility, which could be available for hire to local organisations, members and individuals on an occasional basis.
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BACKGROUND
In 1987, Malton Golf Club offered the Club a redundant trolley shed, the Club accepted the offer, removed the shed and re-erected it on the car-park. This is the present members hut. It fulfils a useful function as a changing area and a space for notices, but lacks any services such as electricity, water and sewerage. It is now in a poor state of repair and has a limited life.
In 1996 the club approached the then Trustees of the Old Village School with a view to renovating the building to accommodate Ryedale Model Engineers, the golf club and serve as a village hall. There was initial interest from all parties but the club found after conducting a survey of the building, undertaking a feasibility study and preparing plans for an extension that the other parties were no longer interested at that time.
In 1999, the Committee examined the possibility of using one of the cottages at the Fairfax Arms for changing facilities, but this proved unsuitable.
Later in 1999 the club was made aware that a sectional building, used for classrooms at the College, had to be removed to make way for a new science block. Expert advice was sought, discussions held with the College authorities, and ownership of the building transferred to the Club for a nominal sum. A contractor was engaged and, with substantial help from members, along with a generous donation from the Abbey Trustees, the building was dismantled and the sections moved alongside the Gilling Castle Drive.
In 2000 a detailed brief was prepared, an architect engaged, and a planning application lodged in February 2000 for the re-construction of the sectional building close to the 18th green. Objections were raised, on behalf of English Heritage by the Garden History Society as the golf course is sited in a listed historic park and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
In June 2000 planning permission was granted. A quantity surveyor produced a cost estimate for the reconstruction of the sectional building. It was significantly higher than expected, due to the exceptional site costs associated with a single storey building on a sloping site, at a distance from essential services. A second cost estimate was obtained for a new two storey building, with the same facilities to a similar standard and floor area, to provide a comparison. The cost estimates demonstrated that a new building of the same size would be only 10-15% more expensive than reconstructing the sectional building. The committee decided on a purpose built building.
In November 2000, a second planning application was submitted. This was withdrawn in February 2001 to allow for more detailed discussions with the planning officers following further objections from the Garden History Society on behalf of English Heritage.
In March 2001 a revised planning application was submitted. This was followed by detailed discussions with planning officials and a site meeting with the Planning Committee.
In July 2001, full planning permission was granted for a purpose built club house alongside the 9/18th green.
In 2002 a comprehensive application for a capital grant from the Lottery Sports Fund was compiled and submitted.
In May 2003 the application was rejected. An appeal was mounted, which was unsuccessful in July 2003.
In November 2003 a financial review of the viability of the project was undertaken. The conclusion of that review was that the club can support the running costs and a lease rent but is unable to fund the capital provision. The club therefore proposed to the Abbey Trustees that the Trustees finance the building of the clubhouse, retain the freehold, and lease the building back to the Club on a long term lease, to provide an equivalent rental return to that which would be returned on the capital sum if it had been invested.
In May 2004 the Abbey Trustees informed the club they were not able to support the proposal but wished to continue supporting the club. The Trustees encouraged the club to join with the Village Hall Committee which had just been formed to repair and modernise the old village school, and explore the possibility of the club being housed in a part of the Village Hall.
In June 2004 an exploratory meeting was held between representatives of the club and the Village Hall Committee and a further meeting took place in August. These meetings were constructive and it appeared that there was a large measure of agreement on the way forward. Unfortunately for reasons unconnected with the golf club certain officials of the Village Hall Committee felt unable to continue. After a short interval new officials were appointed and lines of communication re-established. Progress was slow while the legal issues were unravelled and the conditions of the lease from the Diocesan authorities negotiated.
In November 2005 the club was informed by the Village Hall Committee that they had accepted a lease, which prohibited any form of subletting other than to the Ryedale model engineers. The golf club committee has had to accept this position and has reviewed the options.
In July 2006 the planning permission was renewed and further discussions with the Abbey Trustees resulted in the possibility of a joint use clubhouse, being included in the fourth phase of the St Martin’s Ampleforth Appeal. It was envisaged that a joint use clubhouse could be used by St Martin’s Ampleforth students as an outdoor activities centre.
Conclusion
The first planning application was granted over seven years ago. The club has been promoting membership stating on the application form “A planning application has been granted for a clubhouse by the side of the 18th green and it is hoped to commence work on this project in the near future”. The club has been very successful in our recruitment activities, recruiting over 350 new members over the seven years, but unfortunately the club has been less successful in retaining members, having lost around 300 members through resignations over that same period. This leakage of members is largely due to our failure to deliver improved facilities. The club cannot continue to lose around 20% of its membership every year and survive in a healthy state. The club committee is firmly of the view that clubhouse facilities are essential if the viability of the club is to be maintained for the future.
Way Ahead
The committee is also aware that the club faces other administrative changes in the next few years as the present green keeper uses accommodation at his home for storage of a significant proportion of the greens equipment and this will not be available in the near future. In addition the present secretary uses accommodation at his home for the administration function and when he retires this will not be available and the club will have to provide office accommodation for his successor.
The committee recognises that the situation is urgent and that there will have to be a compromise between what is desirable and what is achievable The club wishes to see all options explored but firmly believes that the lack of these facilities is placing the future of the club at risk and therefore the committee cannot accept the option of “doing nothing”.
The club has watched the progress of the appeal to parents and others to improve the facilities available to St Martin’s Ampleforth students. Unfortunately although the Appeal has been very successful it has closed before reaching the fourth and final phase. The club has therefore approached the Abbey Trustees to explore the possibility of using an alternative level site next to the golf course but closer to the existing services enabling a club house to be constructed more economically with a view to also providing a storage shed nearby in order that the access to services can be shared. The Abbey Trustees have responded positively and have asked the club to develop our ideas further and submit a formal proposition with options at a later date.
