It closed permanently in December 2020Plans will be discussed by Coventry City Council in JanuaryPlans will be discussed by Coventry City Council in January(Image: Geograph)

Brandon Wood Golf Course is set to become a nature reserve with rich wildlife habitats as part of a new project. Plans would see the 64-hectare site linked with surrounding land to create more than 350 hectares of natural ecosystems and waterways.

Councillors are set to discuss plans that would see the fairways, greens, and bunkers replaced with wetlands, grasslands, ponds, and hedgerows. Areas will be managed by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

Habitats would provide new homes for a variety of wildlife while establishing high-quality green spaces and waterways. Councillor O’Boyle said the project would create the largest nature-managed area in the West Midlands.

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Brandon Golf Course closed permanently in December 2020. Several redevelopment options were explored, but none proved financially or environmentally viable as the site was also prone to flooding.

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said: “We know the UK is one of the most nature-depleted nations in the world, with one in six species at risk of extinction, and everyone has to take action. We made a commitment in the Climate Change Strategy to do all we can to support nature recovery, and this site presents a significant opportunity to do that at a scale rarely seen.

“Plans will create the biggest area of land managed for nature anywhere in the West Midlands, and at just six kilometres from the city centre, it would be the closest nature reserve of this scale to a city centre in England.”

Permission is needed from Rugby Borough Council for the project. Coventry City Council would then collaborate with Warwickshire County Council and the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, based at the neighbouring Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve.

Cllr O’Boyle added: “We are proposing that Warwickshire Wildlife Trust will manage the site for us and bring its considerable expertise to create a range of habitats that support nature, alongside an amazing visitor experience for people of all ages to enjoy.

“We are also looking at the possibility of building an outdoor education centre on the site of the old clubhouse. It would be a fantastic opportunity to complement our other facilities in the city and at Dol-y-Moch and provide a significant natural site right on our doorstep for learning and skills, helping young people to not just enjoy nature but to be a part of the vital work to protect it in the years to come.”

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust will be responsible for creating and maintaining the new ecosystems, which will be achieved through a range of techniques, including introducing a herd of cattle for natural grazing. Keeping the land empty would carry an annual maintenance cost of £70,000 and a continued risk of fly-tipping.

Ed Green, CEO of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Bringing the former golf course into management for wildlife joins up several sites across the wider Brandon area and creates the scale needed to support several key species. People in the future can expect to see ospreys, bitterns and perhaps even beavers one day, just a few minutes from the city centre.”

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