Furious debate over building houses on golf courses

The article reports on Blaby District Council's emerging Local Plan, including the Enderby Golf Course site, and the proposal to build up to 800 homes. It states the site could help meet the council's planning obligation of delivering about 654 new homes per year to 2042, while balancing public amenity and affordable housing. It includes quotes from local stakeholders, such as Enderby Golf Course manager Chris D'Araujo, who describes the nine-hole course as a valued community asset and notes it would be a difficult site to redevelop.

A protest organized by Protect Enderby and Narborough Green Spaces was held along the roadside near Enderby Golf Course in Leicestershire. Protesters carried signs reading "Beep if you want to save our green spaces" and "We need homes too!" The demonstration was part of a nationwide day of action claimed to involve around 170 organisations. Organisers reported thousands of petition signatures urging Blaby District Council to rethink the proposal to build up to 800 homes on land including the golf course.

Total membership at English golf clubs rose from 730,602 in 2024 to 750,071 in 2025, with junior membership increasing by more than 34% in 2025 (46,028 to 61,483). The article also notes that 20% of adult golfers on full-length courses in the UK and Ireland were female in 2022, up from 15% in 2019.

The government introduced a new 'grey belt' policy intended to allow some existing green belt land to be redesignated as grey belt if housing targets cannot be met, affecting the context in which golf courses and other green spaces may be considered for development.