Golf club hit by Stourbridge wildfires wants to build new fence after losing 800 trees
New fence will replace lost hedgerows as club fights back
The golf club at the centre of the summer wildfires in Stourbridge is to build a new perimeter fence as it battles back from the disaster.
Stourbridge Golf Club lost more than 800 trees and about 650 yards of hedgerow during the fires in August this year, a new report reveals.
The fires, which were accidentally started on a nearby farm, destroyed 19 homes, and seriously damaged 17 more.
The club said it provided a base for emergency services during and after the fire, and also served as a meeting point for residents seeking information about the changing situation.
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“The main grassed areas of the course - the greens, tee boxes and fairways, were mostly untouched,” said a statement from the club.
“This was mostly due to the months of dry weather and very little growth in these areas.”
While it has been able to reopen 16 of its 18 holes, the loss of vegetation has meant it will not be able to operate at full capacity until a new fence is installed to protect Racecourse Lane in Norton.
The club has applied to Dudley Council for permission to erect a new boundary fence covering just over a third of a mile, which will remain in place until the hedgerows have grown back.
The land belongs to Old Swinford Hospital school, which leases it to the club.
The club hopes to be fully open by December.
The application will now be considered by Dudley Council’s planning department.
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