THE owner of the Winter Hill Golf Club is expected to decide on who to sell it to after Maidenhead Golf Club (MGC) members voted to buy the course.

Winter Hill owners John Lewis Partnership (JLP) confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that they will decide who they will sell the site in Cookham, which is now closed, this week.

A spokesperson did not reveal how many bids they received.

MGC has been in “advanced talks” with JLP to acquire the site for some time in order to move its operations when MGC is forced out of its current site in Shoppenhangers Road by the end of 2025 to make way for up to 1,800 homes.

Although MGC looked set to buy the site, JLP decided to go to the market where a golf charity said it was ‘ready to step in’ to save Winter Hill from closure as it opposed MGC’s plans.

READ MORE: Maidenhead Golf Club agrees to buy Winter Hill Golf Club

The chairman of MGC, Paul Louden, has repeatedly told members that this purchase was the club’s “last chance for survival”. A warning was heeded as 360 members voted overwhelmingly to pursue the acquisition at an extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday, April 12.

In a leaked recording of the meeting, which was heard by the LDRS, Mr Louden said JLP has been “fairly tight-lipped about everything” and that they might speak to him on Friday about the bid.

Mr Louden was asked if MGC did buy the Winter Hill golf course, will they have to accommodate its members as well?

In response, the chairman said they are “welcome to make an application” but have not said anymore in their bid and there are “no plans” to do anything “special” for them.

READ MORE: John Lewis 'still in talks' with Maidenhead Golf Club over Winter Hill

He was also asked if there is a change in leadership at the Royal Borough Council, will that mean MGC will be able to stay at their current home?

Mr Louden said he “wasn’t sure” as he has seen “no evidence” if this will be the case regardless of who will be in charge following the local election on May 4.

He said: “At the end of the day, there’s going to be different people with different ideas and plans, but at the same time with exactly the same debt – and nobody knows a way out of this debt unless somebody in government gets rid of it.

“In my cynical way, I can’t see that happening. I certainly can’t see Mr Gove [Levelling Up Secretary] wiping it clear if by any chance we get a new council here.”