PLANS to create a new country park at Canford Magna Golf Course land have been given the go-ahead.

Borough of Poole planning committee unanimously approved plans to turn the ‘Riverside’ part of the private golf course, which closed in April, into ‘Canford Park’.

It would offer free parking, waymarked circular walks, dog exercise areas, and riverside walks along the Stour.

At a meeting on Thursday members agreed that the 47.95ha greenbelt site should 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 has consulted on options for housing growth including the possibility of 2,500 new homes at neighbouring Canford Park.

The proposal put forward by landowners Canford Renewable Energy (CRE) was a revised version of an earlier application for a quarry at the golf course which was turned down by planners in May this year.

Then developers put forward plans for mineral extraction across 36ha, before the turning the whole 95ha site into parkland.

Despite the change in plans Merley and Bearwood ward councillor Marion Pope still urged the committee to refuse the application. Speaking at the meeting she said a SANG was just the forerunner to developers trying to build houses on nearby green belt sites.

She added: “This proposal would have a devastating impact on the South East Dorset green belt as it will open the door to development.”

However fellow ward councillor David Brown urged members to deal only with the application in front of them - not potential future proposals.

“Personally I think this is a good use for the green belt - much better than a golf course,” he said. “It would take the pressure away from Canford Heath and I think it’s about time North Poole had such a facility.”

Committee chairman Peter Pawlowski echoed Cllr Brown’s comments that members had to deal with “policy and not speculation about what might happen in the future”.

He added: “It will be a big plus for that particular area to have an area of open space.”

The report to the council stated “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.”

It describes the park as “a valuable community resource” which could “serve to encourage new walkers, thereby contributing to health and wellbeing”.