We're planning to create a new community parkland at Deangate Ridge (the site of the former golf course).
This will transform a site currently not in use into a new parkland that can be enjoyed by local wildlife around the area including nightingales, and provide a space for families to enjoy.
Deangate Community Parkland will form an important part of the overall Strategic Environmental Management Strategy. This will provide a network of open spaces designed to protect wildlife and ecology, and create new public open spaces for residents.
The planning application for Deangate Community Parkland has now been approved.
Find out more:
Aerial view showing the concept plan for Deangate parklands.
Despite the decision by the government to withdraw the Housing Infrastructure Funding for the Hoo Peninsula, we’re committed to our vision of delivering environmental improvements that benefit local wildlife and residents around the peninsula.
The proposals for Deangate include:
- creating a substantial public open space of at least 43 hectares
- increasing public knowledge on the importance of the nightingale population
- celebrating nature through nurturing existing habitats and creating new ones
- providing visitor facilities including picnic spaces
- creating a network of safe and attractive routes for dog walkers, walkers and cyclists.
Public events
We hosted a series of free events throughout August and September 2023, giving people a chance to see the latest proposals for the new community parkland.
This offered a chance to meet our project team and ask any questions about the proposals.
Online consultation
We also ran an online consultation between Friday 11 August and Friday 22 September 2023.
Environmental improvements
Following ecology studies, the following species of wildlife have been identified at Deangate Ridge:
- nightingale
- pipistrelle bat
- slow worm
- great crested newt.
Our proposal for a new parkland site at Deangate will enhance habitats and the connections between them to help support rare and common wildlife found around the area.
The improvements to protect these important habitats will include enhanced woodland blocks of trees. Larger areas of open meadow will also be kept with an aim to bring more species of wildlife into the grasslands.
Improvements for local residents
We want to improve the wellbeing of all residents, and one of the ways we'll do this is by improving access to open spaces across Medway.
Deangate Community Parklands will provide the following improvements:
- new picnic areas
- improved access to amazing viewpoints across the grasslands
- new cycle paths
- new paths for walkers and dog walkers
- new public signage with information about the local wildlife based at the site, including nightingales.
We'll provide updates about the project and consultation on this page.