Hoo: Recommendation to turn golf course into parkland

Nightingales live in the former golf course and would be protected until the new plan

Plans to turn a former golf course in Kent into community parkland have been recommended for approval.

A report by Medway Council planning officers said proposals to transform the former Deangate Ridge golf course in Hoo should be given the go ahead.

The application features picnic areas, paths, and better access to viewpoints across the grasslands, woodlands and meadows.

There would be 2.5km of paths as well as routes for cycling and dog walking.

The aim is to protect and enhance the 43-hectare site's biodiversity while opening it up for visitors, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Extensive environmental testing of the site in November found the former golf course is home to a variety of species, including great crested newts, the rarest species of newt in the UK.

Experts also found it is home to species of bird such as the mistle thrush, house sparrow, skylark, song thrush and nightingale - all of which are on the conservation red list.

The council said protection of the site's biodiversity was one of its key priorities in the development of the plans, considering the area borders a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

The Deangate Ridge Golf Course closed in 2018 due to low membership numbers and increasing losses.

There have been fears in the intervening years that the land would be used for housebuilding and development.

But the announcement of its transformation into a green space for walking and exercise, as well as natural wildlife protection, has been supported widely.

The application will be discussed and voted on by councillors on Wednesday.

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