Bolton Council has approved plans submitted by Bolton Golf Club, off Chorley New Road in Lostock, for a single-storey extension to its pro shop.
The development will create a new indoor golf simulator alongside a separate storage area for golf buggies and trolleys.
Planning documents describe the simulator as a relatively new training and teaching tool which could not be accommodated within the club’s existing buildings.
Plans for the new simulation (Image: Bolton Council)
Plans show the simulator itself would cover around 39 square metres, while the adjoining metal-framed storage area has been designed to accommodate around 10 to 12 golf buggies, complete with charging points.
The development attracted particular consideration because Bolton Golf Club is situated within the Green Belt.
Council planning officers said the extension would be attached to an existing building and used in connection with the golf course.
They concluded it would not represent a “disproportionate addition” to the existing building and that its impact on the openness of the Green Belt had been minimised.
The simulator section will extend around 8.8 metres from the existing building and measure around 5.8 metres wide, with a flat roof around three metres high.
The separate storage section will also extend around 8.8 metres and will be clad in corrugated steel.
Documents submitted with the application said the extension would sit among the existing cluster of buildings at the golf club and away from significant public views.
The applicant said materials, style and appearance would be designed to match the existing pro shop.
Four new lime trees are also proposed along the access driveway as part of landscaping and biodiversity measures.
Ecological surveys found the existing building had moderate potential for bats, but two emergence surveys carried out in May found no bats emerging from it.
Conditions attached to the permission require biodiversity measures, including provisions for bats, while any new external lighting must be designed to avoid impacts on nocturnal animals.
No letters of objection were received during the planning process, while Horwich Town Council supported the proposal.
Bolton Council formally granted planning permission on September 23.