THE future ownership of a popular and well-established golf club will be decided on the open market, it has emerged.Tendring District Council had entered into initial negotiations with Clacton on Sea Golf Club, whose land it owns, after the club approached it earlier this year with a view to buying the freehold.

THE future ownership of a popular and well-established golf club will be decided on the open market, it has emerged.

Tendring District Council had entered into initial negotiations with Clacton on Sea Golf Club, whose land it owns, after the club approached it earlier this year with a view to buying the freehold.

It is thought the land is worth somewhere between £1.3million and £2million.

However, after a recommendation by a sub-group of the council's overview and scrutiny committee, the ruling cabinet agreed to extend the opportunity for bids to any prospective purchaser.

Yesterday Terry Allen, leader of the council, stressed he was determined the land would remain a golf club and that suitable caveats would be put in place to make sure a new buyer could not use it for anything else.

The club was originally founded in 1892 and currently boasts a 120-acre golf course and a 10-acre practice ground.

Mr Allen said: “It is designated as a golf club open space. If a housing developer wanted to buy it he would have to be mindful that it is extremely unlikely it would ever be anything other than a golf club, certainly under the current administration.”

Mr Allen said that the golf club was one of 15 of its leased capital assets the council was interested in selling in order to fund major projects for the whole community.

It is hoped that by disposing of these, between £6million and £7million can be raised to fund the council's own capital projects, which could include improvements to leisure facilities, public toilets and town centres.

It is hoped that arrangements can be made so that the golf club's land can be put out to tender in April and that a deal can be reached by September.

Mr Allen said the council had originally planned to continue discussions with the existing leasee, but had it not secured a deal that represented best value for the district it had always intended to put it on the open market.

The West Road club's membership is limited to 650 playing members, with a further 100 junior members.

“We are determined to seek the full value of this land, hence the invitation to bid,” Mr Allen added.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for the golf club declined to comment on the matter.