London Borough of Southwark
Southwark has two active golf courses, (excluding those with fewer than nine holes) which together cover a total of 43.77 hectares. That's approximately 1.52% of the borough's total area. None are publicly owned.
| Course Name | Freehold Ownership |
|---|---|
| Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Golf Course | Privately-owned |
| Aquarius Golf Club | Privately-owned |
In total, Southwark has 27 holes across these courses.
Assuming one hole takes an average of 12.5 minutes to play, and that a maximum of four players can play each hole at the same time, the maximum number of people occupying Southwark's courses over a twelve-hour day is 338, or 108 people at a time. Therefore the total maximum density across the borough's golf courses is 2.47 people per hectare.
Southwark has an approximate housing density of around 48 homes per hectare. If new homes were to be built on all of the publicly-owned courses in the borough, at this density it would deliver circa 1,306 homes.
Alternatively, if housing was built on those areas of golf course limited to within 800m of a station or high street, or with a PTAL of 3 or more, then around 900 homes could be delivered at prevailing densities. That figure is 3.82% of total housing target for the next 10 years according to the Intend to the New London Plan.
However, the current London Plan advocates for higher density development in areas with good access to public transport. Assuming a (conservative) target of 60 dwellings per hectare, the total capacity of Southwark's golf courses to provide new housing is 1,117, assuming only those areas of courses within the new London Plan policy H2 zone are reclaimed for housing. That is 4.74% of the borough's total housing target for the next decade.
Based on an average occupancy of 4 people per home (based on 3.1–3.7 hr/unit), the total number of people living within the H2 zone of these courses would be 4,466.
Southwark has 6,839 people in temporary accommodation, and 6,772 households on its housing waiting list.
Aquarius Golf Club
Aquarius Golf Club is a privately-owned golf course with 9 holes, and an area of 10.65 hectares.
The freehold is owned by Thames Water Utilities Limited, under freehold title number TGL356318.
6.65 hectares (62.44%) of the course's area lie within the London Plan Policy H2 zone (ie. within 800m of a station or town centre, or with a PTAL of 3 or more).
If the area of this course within the policy H2 zone were released for housing at existing borough densities (around 48 homes per hectare), it might be possible accommodate around 322 homes.
However, with a more ambitious density target of 125% compared to prevailing densities, this could be increased to around 402 homes.
The current London Plan advocates densities of between 35 and 130 dwellings per hectare, depending on PTAL. Assuming an average density of 60 dph, the capacity of golf courses within the new London Plan policy H2 zone is around 399.
All of this course's area is designated as Metropolitan Open Land.
None of this course lies within the green belt.
Located around, and on the roof of, the Beechcroft Reservoir.
Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Golf Course
Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Golf Course is a privately-owned golf course with 18 holes, and an area of 33.12 hectares.
The freehold is owned by The Dulwich Estate, under freehold title number TGL292618.
11.96 hectares (36.11%) of the course's area lie within the London Plan Policy H2 zone (ie. within 800m of a station or town centre, or with a PTAL of 3 or more).
If the area of this course within the policy H2 zone were released for housing at existing borough densities (around 48 homes per hectare), it might be possible accommodate around 579 homes.
However, with a more ambitious density target of 125% compared to prevailing densities, this could be increased to around 723 homes.
The current London Plan advocates densities of between 35 and 130 dwellings per hectare, depending on PTAL. Assuming an average density of 60 dph, the capacity of golf courses within the new London Plan policy H2 zone is around 718.
All of this course's area is designated as Metropolitan Open Land.
None of this course lies within the green belt.