A LISTED golf club building is set to be renovated to allow better access for disabled people who want to be part of the club.

Wigan Golf Course applied to Bolton Council for planning permission to improve access with a new stairlift, disabled toilets and a flattened interior corridor.

The course itself is located partly in Blackrod and has its clubhouse in the Arley Hall building in Haigh, which was originally part of Abbey Farm and was handed to the club in 1989.

In a statement sent in alongside the application, a spokesman for the golf club explained that the age of the building made it difficult for people with mobility issues to access certain areas.

They said that this issue is impacting on visitors using the club during external functions and older members who might not play golf any more but want to socialise at the building.

The spokesman said: "The club was built in an age where disabled access was never considered and suffers from having too many levels and it is very difficult to provide access to the whole building for anyone in a wheelchair or with sever mobility problems.

"Modifications to the building are further constrained by the Grade-II listing making internal alterations difficult to carry out."

Information provided alongside these statements shows the club's membership is made up of mostly people over the age of 50, with nearly a third of these aged between 66 and 85 and a further eight members aged 90 or older.

The spokesman added: "The age profile of Wigan Golf Club is one where older members, some of whom are in their 80s and over, still wish to play golf or maintain their association with the club but have reduced mobility and in some cases health problems which may inhibit their desire to play as, for example, they may require access to reasonable toilet facilities.

"This application is the result of an ongoing modernisation strategy aimed at improving the facilities on offer."

The application was delegated to Bolton Council's planning officers for approval and was granted on the condition that the alterations "shall not cause any permanent damage to existing original architectural features", with any cosmetic damage amended using "traditional like for like materials".