A very ambitious proposal to build a new crazy golf course at one of Swindon’s most popular visitor attractions has found a bunker, but it may not be totally stymied.

The plan by Lydiard Adventure Golf for a course at Lydiard Park, in the grounds of Swindon’s only Grade I-listed building, Lydiard House, has been withdrawn by the company.

Lodged in late 2022, the plans for an 18-hole course had a nature theme, with holes such as the windmill, mushrooms, plank, bridge, rocks, owl, loop de loop, hog house and slightly prosaically, narrow gap.

The application said: “We want to provide an activity that will provide long-term enjoyment for visitors to the park and we believe adventure golf is the answer. The pandemic has given households a newfound appreciation of the great outdoors and green spaces.”

A number of public responses were made in support of the application, but ward councillor Sean Wilson asked the matter to be called in for debate by the planning committee.

Meanwhile council officers concerned with highways, landscape and ecology also had some concerns, particularly over a lack of some specific details in the application.

The ecology officer wrote: “The supporting statement states that the course will be ‘temporary’. It is unclear what is meant by this. Although in theory the course could be removed (which would leave dead patches of grass but no concrete structures), it is unclear whether this is planned as an installation for one summer or for longer term.”

At one point last year there were two existing proposals for crazy golf courses, with another company saying it was hopeful of a third.

As well as the Lydiard Park plan, Broome Manor Golf Club has already been given planning permission to build an adventure golf course. But the owner’s major plans to redevelop the site, which would have included moving the site of the adventure golf were turned down by the borough council’s planning committee earlier this year.

Swindon Borough Council also has plans to revamp and bring back into use the pitch and put and crazy golf courses at Coate Water Park, which have been closed for some time.

Swindon company HM Adventure Golf told the Local Democracy Reporter it was in contact with the council about doing the work.

But the company has since gone into liquidation, and while the new Labour administration at Euclid Street has reaffirmed the intention to reopen the Coate course, there seems to have been little progress.