The golf course in Chessington has been laying unused since 2015
Chessington Golf Centre, in Chessington, shut in 2015(Image: Ashill Land Ltd)
More than 250 homes could be built on an abandoned golf course on the edge of South London.
Developer Ashill Land Ltd is pressing ahead with plans to redevelop the former Chessington Golf Centre, close to the border with Surrey, with housing and a public park. The council is considering the developer’s full planning application for the scheme, which proposes to demolish remaining structures on the 28-acre site for 256 new homes – including 50 per cent affordable housing, or 128 homes.
The development would include a mix of homes and four-storey apartment blocks, and proposes a 14-acre public park, along with new trees and paths to connect the site to the wider area.
Visualisation of the plans for the site on the edge of Chessington(Image: Ashill Land Ltd/OSP Architecture)
The future of the site has been hanging in the balance since it shut to the public in 2015. The nine-hole golf course, driving range and car park are now derelict, while the clubhouse was demolished after it was set on fire in 2020.
Planning documents said the golf centre shut due to a high concentration of golf courses in the area, with the site remaining closed off to the public ever since. They said there had been no interest from firms to redevelop the site for other sports or leisure activities since Ashill Land began drawing up plans in 2018.
The documents said the proposed park would “provide a significant community benefit for the surrounding area when compared to the existing site that is inaccessible”.
The developer argued the site was “grey belt” in the documents, which is a new concept introduced by the Government to refer to low-quality green belt land consisting of previously-developed land and inaccessible, neglected areas.
The documents said the scheme would bring the “redundant site into effective use” and deliver much-needed new homes for the borough. They added the development would be “an attractive residential neighbourhood framed by green space where people will aspire to live”.
The council will make a decision on the proposals in due course. Residents can still comment on the planning application on the council website.
Got a story? Email charlotte.lillywhite@reachplc.com.
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