A NEW country park could be created at Canford Magna Golf Course land under plans submitted to Borough of Poole.

The application from landowners Canford Renewable Energy (CRE) would see the 'Riverside' part of the private golf course, which closed in April, turned into 'Canford Park', offering free parking, waymarked circular walks, dog exercise areas, and riverside walks along the Stour.

Under the proposal the 47.95ha greenbelt site would become a designated Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace - or SANG - similar to a country park but created with the specific purpose of reducing the recreational impact of new housing developments on the Dorset heathlands.

Borough of Poole is currently consulting on options for housing growth including a possible 2,500 new homes at neighbouring Canford Park.

The proposal comes after an application for a quarry at the golf course was turned down by planners in May this year. Then developers put forward plans for mineral extraction across 36 hectares, before the turning the whole 95 hectare site into parkland.

CRE's latest proposal refers only to the Riverside course where gravel extraction had already been discounted.

But gravel extraction plans have not been abandoned for the other part of the site. According to this latest application CRE "have listened carefully" to the planning committees concerns, which included noise and dust from the works and the impact on neighbouring Canford School and are "exploring various alternative forms of mitigation, including the option of a buffer to Canford School."

The documents coming before councillors state that "Canford Park has the potential to open up a vast swathe of private land to the public and deliver unprecedented access to the southern bank of the River Stour."

They calls the proposed park "a valuable community resource" which could "serve to encourage new walkers, thereby contributing to health and wellbeing."

But Merely and Bearwood ward councillor Marion Pope remains unconvinced. She told the Echo she would be objecting to the plans, calling the proposed new park "not an altruistic gift" but "the thin end of the wedge" in the light of ambitions to build houses on nearby green belt sites.

"The SANG is a Trojan horse," she added. "It is the forerunner of invading forces of developers going to concrete over the green belt."