A former golf course earmarked for a new park is home to great crested newts and 34 species of birds, ecological assessments have revealed.

The survey at Deangate Ridge in Hoo was conducted in May to identify wildlife and the impact on it should the area be turned into a community parkland with cycle and walking paths.

Most notably, the survey found evidence of great crested newts (GCNs), which are a priority species and considered internationally important.

The newts and their eggs were found in two of the six ponds which were investigated on the site, but it is believed all six ponds support them.

The UK is home to three species of newts, of which the great crested newt is the largest and most rare.

The ecological surveys also found that the Deangate Ridge area is home to 34 species of birds, including seven that are deemed priority.

Priority species are those which have been identified as most threatened and requiring conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

Those found at Hoo included red list bird species - which are of the greatest conservation concern - such as mistle thrush, house sparrow, skylark, song thrush, and nightingales.

The Deangate Ridge area is next to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which hosts nightingales and is also the subject of a campaign against planning permission for 21 homes at Chattenden in Hoo.

Wood mice and 612 species of invertebrates, 35 with conservation designations, as well as eight different species of bats were also found.

The survey said that the conversion to a community parkland would largely not impact wildlife at the site, but said that measures could be taken to ensure that it is preserved.

This included the introduction of bat boxes and preventing dogs from using ponds which host great crested newts.

It also said the closeness to the SSSI was significant, as wildlife could be dependent upon both areas and so damage to one may affect the other.

It recommended that when considering designs for the parkland, biodiversity should be a primary consideration to protect the rare and at-risk fauna and flora.

The site is approximately 43 acres and Medway Council aims to convert it into a community parkland with walking trails and picnic areas.

The authority undertook a consultation from August to September and is expected to make a decision about the parkland early next year.