A campaign has been launched to grant a popular country park nature reserve status to protect it in the future.

Former colliery Betteshanger County Park, near Deal, is currently home to walking and cycling routes, a children’s play area, cafe and mining museum.

Applications have been submitted by its owners to add a 120-bed luxury hotel at the site, as well as a proposal for a multimillion-pound surf lagoon.

It would be the first of its kind in Kent, and bosses say it would be a massive draw for tourism.

Both applications were expected to be discussed at a Dover District Council planning committee next week, but have since been pulled form the agenda.

But Deal Town Council (DTC) wants the 230-acre park to be shielded from future development and is now asking Dover District Council (DDC) to apply to English Nature for the local reserve status.

Cllr Mike Eddy (Green), chairman of DTC planning committee, sent his letter to DDC chief executive Nadeem Aziz asking him to contact English Nature.

It read: “Apart from the construction of the mining museum and related visitor facilities, Betteshanger Country Park has reverted to nature and is far from being the brownfield site it was in the immediate aftermath of the closure of the east Kent coal mines.

“The area now provides a haven for wildlife, some of which, like the turtle doves and orchids, are rare.

“It also provides a valued area of natural landscape which is important for the recreation and enjoyment of residents and visitors to Deal and the surrounding towns and villages.

“Deal Town Council’s planning committee urges Dover District Council to use its powers to apply to English Nature to grant Betteshanger Country Park the protection it requires as a Local Nature Reserve.”

Betteshanger, at Sandwich Road, Sholden, became the last Kent colliery to shut in 1989.

The application for the 120-bedroom hotel and spa was previously rejected by DDC, but has been resubmitted with more provisions in place to protect wildlife.

The surf lagoon bid comes from The Seahive and will be able to provide waves all year round for amateur and experienced surfers.

The applications have sparked a lot of reactions from residents. For the hotel, 1,115 comments have been submitted from residents to the council – 632 in favour, and 478 against.

For the surf park, 2,197 comments have been submitted - 1,378 for, and 816 against.

Even if granted, the reserve status wouldn’t necessarily be introduced before the surf park and hotel are approved.

A spokesman for Betteshanger said: "We know that Betteshanger Country Park plays an important role to local people and communities, be it schools, local clubs, families, and wildlife enthusiasts.

“Since taking ownership of the park in 2019 we have spent millions of pounds finishing the long-awaited visitor centre, cafe and mining heritage museum, and investing in the 231 acres of the park to benefit the community, visitors and wildlife.

“However, unlike the majority of country parks this one is privately owned land and privately funded and therefore does not benefit from public funding. It continues to lose huge sums of money every week.

"Proposals for a new hotel and surf lagoon, taking up less than 10% of the park, are under consideration by Dover District Council and would provide fully funded ecological management for the park, including a wildlife warden and protected wildlife only areas for the first time ever.

“The proposals have received strong public support and aim to deliver exciting new facilities that complement the park, provide local jobs and importantly increase income to ensure the park can remain open to the public.”

Park management today announced a Wild Betteshanger project with an environmental management plan to help protect nature there.

For example, a total 46 acres would be fenced off and kept exclusively for plants and animals. And 9.1 acres of farmland next to the park would be re-wilded, with bird and bat boxes created.

Managers say they are seeking to run the park in a way that nature came first, but so that there is still public access, in a similar way that other UK privately-owned nature reserves are run.

A DDC spokesman said the authority has received the town council letter and will reply in due course.