Coventry City Council backs plan for nature reserve
City council backs plan to turn disused golf course into West Midlands’ largest city-adjacent nature reserve
Coventry councillors are calling for a new nature reserve project to be a model for other parts of the city, after plans to transform the 64-hectare Brandon Wood Golf Course into a biodiversity hub received approval from the city council cabinet this week.
The scheme aims to help Coventry reach its ‘30 by 30’ climate change target, which seeks to conserve and manage 30 per cent of the city’s land and inland waters by 2030. Currently, just 11 per cent of the area is protected.
When complete, the new reserve, adjacent to Brandon Marshes, will be the largest in the West Midlands and the closest to a city centre in England. Both areas will be managed by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said the project will be funded using biodiversity net gain (BNG) credits introduced by the government in 2024. “The plans we have here would see this site funded for 30 years,” he added.
Cllr Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for city services, highlighted the importance of accessibility, saying the site will be reachable by bus and other public transport rather than relying solely on private vehicles. She also pointed to other city green projects, including the restoration of trees at Coundon Wedge and the Arboretum on London Road.
Conservative leader Cllr Gary Ridley welcomed the plans, noting that the former golf course, which closed in 2020, had long been an issue for the city. He urged the council to consider using BNG funding for other sites, such as Coundon Wedge, to transform them into nature reserves.
“This project retains the site as a community asset while creating a major environmental resource,” Cllr Ridley said. “It’s exciting to see a solution that benefits both nature and local residents, and there are other areas in Coventry that could follow this example.”