Three-stage plan considered for new countryside park
A new countryside park at Keele could be operational in its earliest form by late spring 2026.
The refurbishment of an existing car park, new signage and gates to access points and footpath clearance works are some of the initial enhancements being considered by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council to kick-start the development of Lyme Park on a significant part of the former municipal golf course by Keele University.
New seating, bins and safety provisions by open water also feature in the first phase of a three-stage delivery plan alongside the launch of a masterplan exercise from January 2026, including an ecological study and tree survey, to inform the park’s further expansion – all financed by developer funding secured through the planning process.
Cabinet has agreed to designate two thirds of the council’s 69-hectare site – which was last used as a golf course more than a decade ago – as a countryside park to maintain it as public green space for future generations while a smaller proportion of land is allocated for homes in the council’s emerging Local Plan.
Council Leader Simon Tagg said:
The council’s plans for Lyme Countryside Park are really exciting. The former golf course closed a long time ago – this is an opportunity to transform an already well used green space with a range of new facilities which will encourage even more residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors and access nature. Crucially, it enables us to protect two thirds of the open space from development, both now and in the future.
Developing this community asset in three distinct phases – over the short, medium and long-term – is a practical, sensible and controlled way to deliver positive changes. The idea is to launch it now, in a relatively low-cost way, under the maintenance of Streetscene and then accommodate further improvements as any potential housing development progresses.”
The second stage focuses on effective site management during housing development as well as delivering recommendations from the masterplan exercise, such as additional infrastructure, which will be funded by developer contributions from any adjacent sites. Meanwhile, the third phase looks at how the area is managed once new homes are built.
Cllr. David Hutchison, Cabinet member for Sustainable Environment, said:
The creation of the countryside park at Keele is an exciting prospect for a number of reasons. From an environmental point of view, incorporating vast swathes of woodland and mature trees – including the commemorative and growing Lyme Forest which was established to celebrate the borough’s 850th anniversary – with appropriate walking and cycling routes enables us to safeguard biodiversity, promote sustainable travel options and maximise the natural ability of trees to capture and store vast amounts of harmful carbon dioxide.”
If the timeline is progressed, the council will immediately update a Traffic Regulation Order – following consultation – to state that the car park provides two hours of free parking in order to prevent misuse.