Nearly 800 people have joined a campaign to "save" a golf club in Stockport from being turned into new homes.

A petition set up by the Gatley Golf Course Action Group has hit 791 signatures as residents try to protect what they call a "a precious and much-loved green space" in their community.

It asks whether locals "would be interested in joining Gatley Golf Club" to help gather views on whether the club "could continue as a viable sporting and community facility".

The developer, Hollins Strategic Land, plans to built 278 new homes on the golf club, which it claims is "surplus to requirements" and "not an economically viable operation".

In December, councillors decided to postpone making a decision on the future of the club after asking for more information about how viable it is.

A CGI of how the new development would look (Image - Hollins Strategic Land)

Some residents have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that they wanted to become members of the club but they were not allowed to join.

Anne Foulkes, 65, has a strong emotional connection to Gatley Golf Club as it was the place where she scattered her parent's ashes.

A picture of her father, an ex-treasurer and captain at the club, still hangs on the wall – but she claims she was told she couldn't become a member.

She said: "My parents were heavily involved in the club, my father was treasurer and captain, his picture is still up and their ashes are scattered on the club so it's quite an emotive thing for me.

"If it does have to go it should be for something like for like so the next generation have something similar to what we had.

"If the club was struggling then they could have asked the community for help but they haven't given it that chance. It seems a crime against the local community to lose this beautiful space."

A plan for the new development (Image - Hollins Strategic Land)

David Acheson. 64, was a member at Gatley Golf Club for around 15 years but left when he bought a holiday home in Wales.

He said he was told he couldn't re-join the club 18 months ago because the members had made up their mind to sell it.

He said: "I would join the club in a heartbeat if I could, it's my local club but the members have not made a real fight to keep it alive.

"I'm against the new housing development, what we all want is to see the course saved."

Sharon Lindsay is one of the residents campaigning to protect the area from development. She believes there is plenty of interest from the community for memberships.

Gatley Golf Club (Image - Google Maps)

She said: "The community is not being given a chance to see if it's viable. But when you look at our petition it's just so overwhelming to see the response we've had to it.

"There are other parks in the area but a lot of people use the golf club for walks every day because it's just so beautiful."

At the last Stockport council planning meeting, part of the discussion focused on Sport England and England Golf, which challenged claims that there is no demand for the club, stating that there is not "any clear evidence that the golf course is surplus to requirements to meet current and future demand".

The club, which is privately owned, was founded in 1912 and offers members a nine-hole course over 5900 yards.

Stockport council's next Planning and Highways Regulation Committee is due to take place on February 8.

Hollins Strategic Land and Gatley Golf Club were contacted for comment.

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