A golf course which was closed due to council cuts is being brought "back to life" by members of the community.
Brackenwood golf course, in Bebington, Wirral, was shut down on April 1, along with Hoylake Municipal, after Wirral Council withdrew its funding for the two courses. The move came in a bid to save £328,000 towards the £20m needed to address a major gap in the council's budget.
Following the closure, the site faced vandalism on a scale never seen before, with marker posts being pulled out and dragged into the pond, and a fire breaking out on the course.
READ MORE: Single bus journeys in Liverpool City Region to be cut to £2 each
In March, Jackie Watts, secretary of the ladies section at the club, expressed her disappointment at the move to shut Brackenwood. She told the ECHO: “The course means a heck of a lot, we’ve been here since 1935. We have very strong men's and ladies' sections.
“A lot of people are playing into their late eighties. It’s incredible that the council is closing it, it’s the jewel in the municipal crown.”
But last month, men's club secretary Keith Marsh provided a positive update on proceedings at the course, saying that there had been "three expressions of interest" to reopen.
And now the first steps are being taken to maintain Brackenwood's greenspace, with local volunteers, backed by RM Estates and the Woosnam group, starting work on the site this week.
So far, volunteers have been able to cut access paths for local residents, rake the course's bunkers and remove timber left over from the November storms.
The team took to Facebook to give an update on their progress, with one local resident commenting: "It looks as if Brackenwood is coming back to life."
Speaking about the positive developments on the course, Councillor for Bebington, Jerry Williams, said: "Following 24 years of working with Brackenwood Golf Club I am pleased progress is being made on the course, after difficult times. During the no maintenance period, I have kept a close watch on the land including the course, which are both protected from any kind of building for 15 years, under the greenspace policy included in the Wirral Local Plan.
"The Council has installed additional litter bins in the park area, rocks have been deployed in order to prevent fly tipping and I have personally been working with the Council Community Patrol. I have constantly campaigned on greenbelt issues over numerous years working with Bebington residents and community groups."
The ECHO reached out to RM Estates for comment but received no response.
