The Peak Resort, UK

Chesterfield is set to be put firmly on the tourism map after a multi-million pound ‘Ecodome’ scheme was finally given the green light. The Peak Resort – a golf and residential resort project, on green belt land was approved in principle in 1989 but its finer details (Reserved Matters) were recently passed (almost 20 years later) by the borough's councillors.

The leader of Chesterfield Borough Council has stated that The Peak Resort will be one of the best attractions of its type in Britain. The dome itself has the potential to be an iconic piece of architecture, being innovative and contemporary. The scheme is set to create over 4,000 jobs - 1,200 for its construction and a further 3,000 to run the complex - will cost £300m in total and will be constructed in three phases.

There will be many economic and environmental benefits to the area as a result of the Ecodome. It will be built to incorporate renewable energy and waste management systems, and the new golf course will be built on challenging land that was partly a former open-cast coal mine and landfill site. However, some of the new holes will be routed sympathetically through mature coniferous woodland, gorse and wild grassland.

The scheme was given planning consent in mid-May 2008. It will see a dome-type structure built, along with numerous complimentary facilities, including 250 timber-built contemporary holiday lodges, a complete re-design of the existing Birchall golf course by Gaunt Golf Design to championship standard, a PGA Golf Training Academy, 9-hole academy course, 300 metre floodlit driving range, spa hotel, sports medical centre, children's crèche, life-long learning centre, restaurants, cafes and parking.

The golf training and academy facilities are designed to be “user-friendly” - making the sport much more accessible and, in particular, encouraging youngsters and beginners to partake, who may otherwise be reluctant to take up the game. Plus, the 9-hole academy course will allow players who have limited time available to play a round of golf in a little over an hour.

The Ecodome scheme's 'green' credentials include an anaerobic digestion system to turn green and food wastes into biogas and rainwater to flush toilets. Also, the golf course has been designed to be ‘sustainable’ in terms of water management – using storm and rainwater to supply the irrigation system. “Grey” water from buildings and drainage water will be harvested from roads, buildings and hard surfaces, then filtered and cleaned through a series of reed-beds and lagoons to enable it to be re-used for the irrigation system. Added to this, the grass species within the specification of the golf course have been chosen to be drought-tolerant.

Work on 'Ecodome - The Peak Resort', is set to start early 2009, with cash to fund the project coming from private investment and the sale of its four-star holiday lodges for the buy-to-let market.