A wedding and events management company is set to take up occupation of the former Bushey Country Club site as ‘meanwhile users’, subject to legal agreement.

The Executive agreed on 25 July to the proposal for the company, SMM (UK) Ltd, to take occupation of the council-owned site whilst the longer term future of this asset is considered.

Since the closure of Bushey Country Club, the council has been reviewing options to secure a long term future of the site which would generate income and be of benefit to both Bushey and the wider communities in Hertsmere.

Councillor Paul Morris OBE, Portfolio Holder for Community and Economic Development, explained: “Whilst we continue to work on developing a range of options for the longer term future of the site and consult Hertsmere residents, we considered it prudent to go out to the market for expressions of interest to occupy the site on a ‘meanwhile’ basis.

“We’re delighted to have secured interest from SMM (UK) Ltd to operate from the site, fulfilling our undertaking to generate income from this council asset and to keep it as a busy, functioning hub for Bushey, and the borough more widely for the next two to five years.

“They’ll operate wedding and events management at the site, and also take responsibility for maintaining the golf course and other utilities.

“The community centre, which is seeing a good level of usage, will be able to continue to operate as part of this plan.

“Once legal matters have been finalised, it’s anticipated that SMM (UK) Ltd will take over management of the site in the autumn when the property guardians, currently ensuring site security, are set to move out. Then after a short period of preparation the site will be operational again. 

“I’ll continue to run focus groups in the coming weeks on the longer term future of the site and, once a viable list of options has been drawn up, the council will run an opinion research exercise to gauge views of residents across the borough.”

For more information, visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/busheycountryclub   You can also subscribe to receive our News for You e-alert updates about the former Bushey Country site - visit our website www.hertsmere.gov.uk and click on the 'News for You' icon, and select the Bushey Country Club topic.