Calls for Bolton Council leader to reject Ryder Cup bid

Hulton Estate plans

Bolton Council leader Martyn Cox is being urged to reject a bid for the Ryder Cup which would lead to 1,100 houses being built on the Hulton Estate.

Liberal Democrat councillors in Westhoughton are calling on the Conservative leader to tell golf authorities and the Government that Bolton does not want the Ryder Cup because of the “negative effect” it would have on the borough.

The Hulton Park project depends on Bolton successfully winning a bid to host the Ryder Cup in 2031 or 2035.

Plans by Peel have been overwhelmingly opposed by local residents who fear that some of the area’s last-remaining green fields would be lost and it would cause traffic chaos.

Councillors Deirdre McGeown and David Wilkinson have filed a motion with Bolton Council calling on councillors to say they don’t want the bid to go ahead.

In the motion they will say: “The council acknowledges that if the Ryder Cup was to be allocated to Hulton Park there would be short term benefit in publicity. There would also be a short term boost to the economy, although most of that boost is likely to be to places other than this Borough.

“However, as a result of any decision to allocate the Ryder Cup to Bolton we would lose a large area of valuable green belt and historic gardens – for ever. Already congested roads and other infrastructure would be put under further pressure.

“In this context the council believes that allocation of the Ryder Cup here would have a negative effect on the Borough and make no positive contribution to ‘levelling up’.

“The council resolves that it does not want the Ryder Cup here and asks the Leader of the Council to make that clear to the golf authorities and the Government.”

The motion comes just weeks after Bolton Council announced it would not fight an appeal by Peel.