The former golf course being transformed into a 'meditation' retreat for Thai Buddhist monks

Those behind a Thai Buddhist temple and monastery have applied to use former golf club land as its grounds.

The Wat Sriratanaram temple, Moss Lane, Kearsley, was created in 2016 at the former clubhouse of Manor Golf Club.

The clubhouse had earlier become an Indian restaurant before being acquired for use as a temple.

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However the change of use at that time did not extend over the open land of the gold course.

An application published by Bolton Council last week requests that the temple gains permission to use the wider grounds for ‘recreation, meditation and the planting of gardens’.

Those running the temple also request using part of the site for ‘agricultutral grazing'.

In 2016, permission was granted to use the golf club as a Buddhist temple with four monks residing at the property on a full time basis.

The plans also included an indoor meditation and ceremony area.

A planning document in support of the application, states: “This application is to reflect the facts that golf is no longer played on the site and the grounds associated with it have in part become the grounds associated with the Buddhist temple.

“The use includes recreation, meditation, the planting of gardens, maintenance of grounds and trees including part of the site for agricultural grazing.”

The application states that the development use is consistent with the land being in the green belt.

Other related proposals will also see non-residential caravans placed at the site and the building of a garden of meditation.

Planners at Bolton Council will consider the applications in the next few weeks.

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