A community centre at a doomed country club will stay open after Hertsmere Borough Council agreed its next steps at an Executive meeting.
Bushey County Club, including the golf club will officially close in just over a week after council bosses decided to shut the club because of “unsustainable financial losses” which was more than £650,000 last year.
But at the meeting on Wednesday night, a budget provision of £194,000 was agreed for on-going expenditure in 2018-19. This money will help keep the community centre at the country club open, help maintain grounds, and provide security costs to stop encroachment onto the site, after the rest of the site closes on April 1.
It was also agreed that the council’s asset management team will commission professional services to assess the best possible redevelopment opportunities for the site. Once those options have been made, a consultation will be held with people in Bushey and Hertsmere.
Hertsmere Borough Council leader Morris Bright has maintained that no decisions have been made on the future of the site, ever since it was announced that it would be closing.
In two meetings, in front of residents, Mr Bright and key council officers and councillors have stated they will try and do what is best for the community.
The country club buildings and car park are built on brownfield land but the golf course itself is green belt.
Mr Bright said: “The council has invested more than £6m since it acquired the site for investment purposes in 1996. We’re now at a crossroads where an alternative future needs to be found for the site which is a very important asset for us.
“It’s crucial that we find a sustainable and credible future for it. Whatever that future holds, we need to maximise financial return from the site for the benefit of all our residents in Hertsmere.
“We also know how strongly local people feel about the site and its future. We’ve listened closely to the views expressed at two public meetings hosted by the Bushey Forum and to other thoughts put forward by residents and stakeholders over recent weeks.”
The full report can be viewed on the Executive's agenda - see item 6.3
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