Proposals for Kent spa and wave garden to go on display

Published by

Stephen Emerson

The proposed hotel in Kent

Plans for a new wave garden and spa hotel in Kent are to go on public display.

The proposed £50m development at Betteshanger Country Park will be shown to the public at The Glass Room at the country park near Deal on Tuesday (July 19) from 5pm to 7pm.

Betteshanger Country Park includes 230 acres of land and is situated on the former Betteshanger Colliery, which was the largest coal mine in Kent and closed in 1989.

It includes walking, running and cycling paths, picnic spots and space for other activities, such as archery, fossil hunting and orienteering.

A new mining museum and visitor centre have also recently opened, as well as a new cafe.

Stuart O'Leary, head of Betteshanger, said: "Our upcoming exhibition is focussed on a bold plan for a Wave Garden and Hotel and Spa, which will provide a significant tourism boost and drive investment in the area and really put a marker down that says the Dover district is innovative and the place to be.

"This is a fully funded £50m investment in the area that will deliver hundreds of jobs and a massive boost in secondary spend benefiting the wider area."

The proposal for the surfing experience water park and five star hotel were first revealed last year for the former colliery.

A spokesman for Betteshanger Country Park said of the event: "We have organised a public exhibition to give local residents and stakeholders the opportunity to view plans and to speak to members of the project team.

"The aim is to understand the views and ideas of the local community so that the development proposals can evolve to take account of the feedback."

Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset. Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users. He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.