Crazy golf venue is finally granted planning permission

A crazy golf venue has finally been granted planning permission despite worries that it could harm Lynn’s town centre.Octoputts Crazy Golf started welcoming customers to its Hardwick Retail Park premises at Berol Park, off of Scania Way, in October last year.However, an application seeking retrospective permission to actually construct the premises was turned down by West Norfolk Council, raising serious questions over its future.

But last week, the authority gave the business its seal of approval – despite lingering concerns that it could draw people away from the town centre.The decision will no doubt please Oceanus Leisure, the family business which runs the crazy golf site.Earlier this year, Natalie Atkins, one of its owners, told the Lynn News that she intended to appeal the original planning decision.

She said she was frustrated at being subjected to retail conditions despite considering Octoputts to be a leisure location. Last week, a report from borough council planning officers said that recent changes to the authority’s Local Plan mean the Octoputts application can now be deemed acceptable.“There are little to no external changes proposed as a result of the proposed development to the warehouse structure,” it said. “The use as a crazy golf venue itself would have little to no external impacts. The proposed use of the external area for mobile catering units is not considered to be overly incongruous or visually harmful based on the small scale of the external area and prevailing character of the area.

“Therefore, the development is considered acceptable in this regard.”However, the council’s regeneration team had reiterated its objection to the plans.It said that it believes the crazy golf business could have been made viable in a vacant building in the town centre.

“While it was not a project taken forward under the Town Deal, repurposing vacant units in the town centre for this type of use is considered important and a high priority to support the towns vibrancy and attractiveness for people of all ages,” a statement said. “We therefore would not support this change of use application for a proposal on an out of town location. We would be happy to discuss opportunities in the town centre with the operator.”Octoputts has been approached for comment.The application sought a change of use of an existing commercial storage facility to the crazy golf centre and an external area for mobile catering units.Since it opened, visitors have enjoyed the underwater themes and street food vendors such as Fanny Adams Catering and Reeseys Ice Cream.