Liberal Democrat Richard Herrett, BCP’s portfolio holder for destination, leisure and commercial operations, said: “There are a number of popular golf courses within the conurbation with good capacity, and the team are proactively working on alternative options for members of the golf club.”
He said the council knew “how much open spaces matter to communities” and it would be “engaging with residents directly to create a new vision for what can be achieved at Solent Meads and understand how they want to see it used going forwards”.
“This will allow us to ensure more people have access to the stunning natural surroundings and all the benefits of an open, inclusive green space,” he said.
“Open spaces play a vital role in the health and wellbeing to our residents, and we need to balance historic use with making them accessible to communities.”
Petitions with 2,000 or more signatures are referred for debate at a meeting of full council where members will be asked to consider it and to determine the next steps.
The golf course is one of three areas along with Erlin Farm and nature reserve Millhams Mead earmarked for improvements aimed at boosting nature and community use.
The council said there were no plans for housing or any other form of mass development at the sites.
Councillors are set to discuss the proposals at the next cabinet meeting on 26 November, and any future plans will follow normal planning and approval processes.
