Squatter removed from Brackley Golf Course site which will be sold for £40m to make way for new homes

Bellway Homes agreed to buy Brackley Golf Course in Little Hulton for £39.3m last month but, since then, the developer renegotiated the terms of the sale.

Salford Council, which jointly owns the 27-hectare site off the M61, will still pocket £18.5m – the biggest single capital receipt in its history.

But the local authority agreed to amend some of the terms of the sale at a meeting which was held behind closed doors on Tuesday (21 December).

It comes after a squatter was removed from a building in Bulloughs Farm, which is part of the development site, ahead of the agreed date of the sale.

However, the deal was not signed on 1 December as the council had agreed.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that Salford Council is now paying for 24-hour security to protect the property until the sale is complete.

Deputy mayor John Merry approved the amended terms of the sale which now includes the option for the authority to acquire up to 20 three-bedroom properties on the site.

If the council does buy these homes, it could make sure they are affordable.

What’s the history of the site?

Planning permission to build 677 homes on the golf course was granted two years ago but there is currently no requirement for affordable housing on the site.

A deal was initially struck in May 2020 with developer Countryside which had planned for around a third of the new properties to be affordable, but this agreement fell through when the company tried to renegotiate the price of the purchase.

Bellway has not factored affordable housing into its development plans, but has agreed to discuss the matter with the council once the sale is complete.

According to a property and regeneration briefing report, the council can acquire some of the properties within the scheme under the amended terms.

It said: “Under the Collaboration Agreement, the Council can seek to secure a greater level of Affordable Housing to that within the outline consent, but the Council would be responsible for the costs of such provision.”

The agreement also includes a condition which allows the council to buy back the land if Bellway does not build the homes on time, according to the report.

The development would feature 36 flats, 76 two and 250 three-bed semi-detached houses, and a further 217 three and 111 four-bed detached dwellings.

Amendments must be made to the plans to allow for the additional 13 homes, but work is expected to start on site towards the beginning of the new year.

The sale of the site is due to be completed this week.