September Press Release Commented.
On September 30th, 2025, the Council and WWFC have published a second press release, reinforcing their partnership and making some amendments to earlier communication.
Here is the exact wording of that press release as downloaded on the day of its appearance, with our comments, paragraph by paragraph.
“In August this year, Buckinghamshire Council and Wycombe Wanderers announced a new partnership to secure the long-term future of the Farnham Park Playing Fields and South Buckinghamshire Golf Course as a flagship sporting hub for the community. Since then, representatives of Wycombe Wanderers have spent time meeting with some of the sports organisations and clubs using the Playing Fields, as well as members and staff at the golf course. ”
Yes, some meetings have taken place — but they amounted to little more than introductions. No concrete plans were shared, no options were discussed, and no real opportunity was offered for the community to help shape the vision. From what has been said, it is clear that Wycombe Wanderers intend to develop and refine their plans behind closed doors. The broad concept already appears decided, leaving no room for meaningful community input.
"Having been part of Buckinghamshire’s sporting community since our founding in 1887, Wycombe Wanderers are aware how important this site is locally, and the conversations over the summer have emphasised this further. The Club and the Council remain absolutely committed to working with the existing tenants and users of the site."
This statement does not match reality. Several requests for meetings with both the Council and Wycombe Wanderers have been flatly declined. Far from showing commitment to working with tenants and users, the current approach has excluded key voices from the conversation.
"The shared vision for the site is that it becomes a modern, multi-sports hub with inclusive facilities that will significantly increase opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the community to play sport and be active.”
A vision like this sounds attractive — and of course everyone would welcome more inclusive opportunities for sport. The reality of the plans presented so far, however, is very different. Instead of broadening options, they reduce them: long-standing clubs face being displaced, decades of sporting tradition risk being erased, and older residents in particular stand to lose vital opportunities for exercise, connection, and social life.
"This is a multi-year project and it will take several months to develop a detailed masterplan for the site. There will be consultation with local people and users of the facilities, likely next year, and a planning application will need to be submitted and approved. Importantly, the site will remain open as usual throughout this process.
Once Wycombe Wanderers take on responsibility for the day-to-day management of the site, they will be exploring potential changes to the operations of the existing golf course, in response to declining usage and ongoing financial losses associated with the facility. Any changes at the golf course would take place next spring at the earliest, meaning this year’s season tickets and golf club memberships, which run to the end of March 2026, are respected.
Given the stark uncertainty of planning permission for the project presented, the current users and clubs are in limbo as how to plan for their next membership year. If it is clear that many years will be needed, why only commit to March 2026? What does "remain open as usual" mean if not that season tickets will be available for the 2026/27 season? Properly respecting golf club memberships would mean that the clubs can plan forward. Not allowing that is disrespectful.
"Looking further ahead, subject to securing planning approvals, the fabric and layout of the course will be redesigned and modernised with either 9 or 12 holes to make it more flexible, accessible and appealing to a wider audience including young people, families and casual golfers. The proposals could possibly also include a golf academy and a driving range. The Council and the Club are committed to keeping members regularly updated and to creating a long-term and thriving future for golf here."
Whatever can be offered on a 12-hole course can equally be offered on an 18-hole course. The reduction is not about golf at all — it serves only to free up land for WWFC’s football academy. Claims that fewer holes will make the game more attractive are contradicted by WWFC’s own example: the 12-hole course they point to as a “success” receives only a third of the online bookings of South Bucks’ existing 18-hole course. Calling this “modernising” is a misuse of the word.
The sudden revival of the idea of a golf academy further exposes the short-sightedness of the Council’s decision to close the nearby previous academy nine years ago — a move that badly damaged local golf. Long-standing members, many of whom have supported the site for decades, deserve more than being merely “kept updated.” They deserve genuine respect and a real say in decisions that will determine the future of their sport and community.
"There is lots of work to do over the coming months, and as Wycombe Wanderers start to assemble a professional design team, they will also be looking at opportunities to invest and improve across the whole site in the short to medium term. This could include refurbishment of the golf course club house, and upgrades to the changing facilities on the Playing Fields in time for the 2026/27 season. This will be explored further over the coming months and will be subject to planning approvals."
If Wycombe Wanderers are only now “starting to assemble a professional design team,” how is it that the overall layout of the site already seems predetermined? Was the vision developed without professional expertise, or is the design team being brought in simply to dress up decisions already made?
The claim that the golf clubhouse requires refurbishment is also striking. It is only 12 years old — designed, built, and maintained by the Council itself. If it is already in need of significant work, this raises serious questions about the Council’s stewardship of facilities and about the credibility of promises being made now.
"The Wycombe Wanderers Foundation will play a key role across the site to deliver a comprehensive range of programmes geared towards supporting local people and communities, in areas such as education, employability, sports participation, social mobility, health and inclusion."
That is a puzzling statement. The land was given — and is dedicated indefinitely — for the maintenance and improvement of local residents’ physical well-being. While education and employability are no doubt worthy causes, they have no direct connection to this purpose. They should certainly not be used as a veil for unworthy causes such as dismantling long-standing sports facilities that already serve the community.
"Both the Council and Wycombe Wanderers are dedicated to working openly and collaboratively with site users and the community and to safeguarding this site as a public asset, while unlocking new opportunities, participation in sport, and a long-term home for the football club in Buckinghamshire."
Once again, the pledge of “open collaboration” rings hollow when repeated meeting requests have been ignored for weeks. Nor do the plans safeguard the site as a public asset — quite the opposite. Hidden at the end of the statement, behind layers of feel-good language, lies the real intention: to carve out a private, fenced football academy for WWFC, on Green Belt land that belongs to the public and was secured for generations.
This is the true driving force of the project. The urge to satisfy WWFC’s craving for a closed training ground is so strong that it tramples over planning barriers, disrespects current users, and threatens to strip away the community value of the site.
This press release paints a picture of openness, inclusivity, and community benefit. The reality is very different: decisions have been taken behind closed doors, requests for dialogue have been refused, and the proposals strip away long-standing facilities in order to satisfy the private needs of a football club. The land was given for the lasting benefit of local residents, and it must remain a public asset. The community deserves transparency, respect, and a genuine voice in shaping its future — not empty promises.