INTEREST in redeveloping Allestree Hall has put a halt to plans for external management to take over the running of the adjacent golf course.
Twelve months ago, Derby City Council's cabinet approved a proposal to externalise the operation of both Allestree and Sinfin golf courses.
In the same plan was a proposal to find an external manager for Markeaton pitch and putt course.
Since then, the council has received inquiries from organisations interested in redeveloping Allestree Hall and officers have decided to appoint an external agent, who specialises in the leisure and historic buildings market, to assess the situation.
A tender went out on August 11 and it is expected an agent will be appointed in September to assess whether the golf course would enhance the hall's viability if it was included in any future sale.
The city council cabinet is being asked at its meeting on Wednesday to give the go-ahead to only market and tender the operation and management of Sinfin golf course, which it wants to hand over between April to July 2015.
At the same time, the Markeaton pitch and putt course will be removed from the plan and continue to be managed by the city council.
Plans are already under way to improve Markeaton Park using a £3.4 million grant and the implementation of a restoration project.
The council will resurrect its plan to put the management of Allestree golf course to an external organisation if development opportunities for Allestree Hall are not forthcoming and viable.
Putting any or all of the golf courses out to private management could save hundreds of thousands of pounds in operational costs.
But a report being presented at next week's cabinet meeting points out that only going ahead with Sinfin golf course "may be less attractive to bidders, resulting in no interest or less favourable financial outcome for the council".
When the idea to use an outside company to run Allestree golf course was first suggested, players applauded the idea, saying that the council "had not maintained the course properly in years because it hadn't the money."
