CRAZY golf in Andover could be given an Iron Age twist after plans were lodged to reinvent the town’s adventure golf course.

Proposals have been submitted to the borough council detailing plans to replace the existing course with a new, Iron Age-themed adventure golf facility, paying homage to the history of the local area.

The old course, described as ‘tired’ and ‘dilapidated’, would be completely demolished to make way for a new one touted to be ‘rich in both fun and educational elements’.

The design and access statement reads: “The proposals seek to improve this important leisure site through the replacement of the existing Adventure Golf course with a new high-quality Adventure Golf facility rich in both fun and educational elements.

“The existing course, while well used is dated and tired. The new proposals will be a significant improvement that will enhance the facilities for all ages and abilities whilst retaining the character of Charlton Lakes and the family-friendly nature of the area.”

The new golf course will be designed with differing levels of difficulty in mind and feature a variety of obstacles to ensure gameplay is ‘challenging’ but ‘enjoyable’.

A key aspect of the new facility will be its ‘Iron Age’ theme, giving the project and educational tie-in.

The design and access statement continues: “An Iron Age theme has been adopted given the strong links that the historical town of Andover and the surrounding areas have with the Iron Age.

“The local geology and natural history in the area, such as the chalk streams and abundance of flint, were key factors in the chosen theme.

It adds: “The chosen theme will introduce an educational element to the facility, which would appeal to parents and enhance the experience for children.

“Creating a link to the Andover Iron Age Museum will help to ensure an engaging educational feature is developed within the project.”

The existing site would be completely demolished and replaced with the new one, with a two-metre high mesh fence and access gates also to be installed.

Staffing levels of the new facility will remain the same as they are currently, and the site will be open from 9am until 7pm during the summer holidays, with reduced hours during the rest of the year.

Those hours will be reviewed after the first six months and adjusted to meet demand if required, however the plans note that “the current usage of the existing course, despite its condition, would suggest there is a demand for such a facility within the area”.

No new parking facilities would be built as the existing site does not have any dedicated parking, relying on the council-operated car parks surrounding Charlton Lakes.

To view the plans in full go to http://view-applications.testvalley.gov.uk/online-applications and search using the reference ‘20/00901/FULLN’.