New countryside park starts to take shape as entrance works begin
The first physical signs of progress in the development of a new countryside park at Keele are starting to become visible to the public.
Work to create a formal entrance at Lyme Park is starting this week as part of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s decision to protect and enhance the majority of public green space situated at the former municipal golf course, near to Keele University.
The borough council is designating two thirds of its 69-hectare site – which was last used as a golf course more than a decade ago – as a countryside park to safeguard a significant part of the popular open space for leisure, recreation and wildlife conservation.
A new entrance is one element of initial improvements designed to make the area safer, more accessible and welcoming as the countryside park further develops over the medium and longer-term incorporating vast swathes of woodland and mature trees as well as the commemorative and growing Lyme Forest which was established in 2023 to celebrate the borough’s 850th anniversary.
Other early works include improved access points, signage, changes to the existing car park and footpath clearance alongside a masterplan exercise, including an ecological study and tree survey, to inform the park’s future expansion.
Council Leader Simon Tagg said:
The works taking place at the moment are a key milestone: this is a big step forward in bringing our exciting plans for Lyme Park to life.
We want to ensure it remains a welcoming green space for everyone to enjoy. The current improvements will lay the groundwork for further enhancements as the countryside park evolves over time.
We are committed to protecting as much of this much-loved green space as possible – both now and for generations to come – so that even more residents and visitors can enjoy it for health, well-being and recreation. We’re continuing to develop our Fields in Trust application for the site which, if successful, will add an additional layer of protection, legally safeguarding it from development in perpetuity.”
Cllr. David Hutchison, Cabinet member for Sustainable Environment, added:
This new entrance is part of a wider vision to create a more accessible, biodiverse and sustainable environment which will encourage more people to enjoy the outdoors and access nature in a formalised and improved setting. By investing in nature now, we are ensuring that future generations can benefit from high-quality open spaces that support well-being, wildlife and our wider climate goals.”