One of the European stars of the last biennial Ryder Cup tournament has also announced his support.
As the current tournament begins in Rome, a bid is being made to host the historic competition in 2035 at the Hulton Park development.
The authority believes that hosting a high-profile event there would be beneficial.
Akhtarzaman, deputy leader of the opposition party, said: “We fully support the bid for the Ryder Cup to be hosted in 2035.
The argument has been ongoing since 2018. While we understand the concerns expressed by local residents, we believe that it is time to support this proposal.
He said: “There are many benefits to the hospitality industry, including the 75,000 visitors a day that the tournament will attract.”
Tommy Fleetwood, who announced his support for the proposal on Tuesday, has also endorsed it.
Fleetwood posted on his Instagram account: “I have studied the Hulton proposals closely and visited the site myself. It is an incredible landscape, and the prospect for a stadium course would be fantastic for all concerned – golfers, tournament organizers and English footballers.”
Over Hulton is set to get a luxury golf course (Image: Peel L&P).
But perhaps even more important, I am thrilled with what this proposal can offer my part of the country. It would encourage more people to play golf in the North West. For those who do not, it would bring jobs, tourism, and investment to the area.
Fleetwood, the player who won the 2023 Ryder Cup in Marco Simone with a score of 3-1, was born about 30 miles away. Hulton is about 20 miles away from the birthplace Samuel Ryder. The event’s namesake.
Zaman stated that the tournament would also benefit the global reputation and economy of the borough for many years to come.
He said: “We know events like Ironman and Food and Drink Festival brought Bolton a lot recognition.” “I believe that the Ryder Cup is going to really bring Bolton onto the global stage. It will bring in over 1,000 jobs, and it will also help us with our housing crisis by providing 1,000 homes.”
Before finally being approved, the plans for the Hulton Park development capable of hosting Ryder Cup had gone through an extensive and contentious process.
In Italy, the historic biannual competition is underway. Developers Peel L&P originally hoped Bolton would make its bid in 2031 or in 2035.
Richard Knight, the planning director at the company, says that the company will now target 2035 to complete the project.
He told BBC Radio Manchester: “The delay we’ve experienced means that we are now looking at 35. I think 31 is a little tight for us to construct a new venue, and we clearly don’t wish to rush such a project.”
The plan includes a 18-hole championship course, other facilities, and over 1,000 new homes in the Over Hulton region. The members of the Bolton Council’s planning committee voted almost unanimously in February 2022 to reject this bid. The group cited environmental concerns and traffic effects, as well as campaigns from community groups such Hulton Estate Area Residents Together.
Peel L&P, the developers behind this project, has appealed to the government against that decision. A planning inspector from the government also criticized it harshly.
Inspector Dominic Young, in a report published following a two-day investigation held last October, described the refusal as “unreasonable and irrational to the extent that it would not have been made by a reasonable authority.”
Inspectors ordered Bolton Council only to pay the developers almost $500,000 to cover the costs of the appeal. Peel L&P had not made such a request.
This amount of money is equivalent to around $25,000 per ward.
The leadership of the council has stated that the costs could have been higher had they not held negotiations.
Original estimates place the figure at around $750,000.
Joe Harrigan, a reporter at the Bolton News (a part of Newsquest), is owned by Gannett. Golfweek has added reporting to the post.
