WAVES & WELLNESS
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
A PLANNING APPLICATION HAS
BEEN SUBMITTED TO DOVER
DISTRICT COUNCIL FOR THE
CREATION OF A WORLD CLASS
SURF LAGOON AT BETTESHANGER
COUNTRY PARK, DEAL
The Seahive is the First dedicated surf wellness resort in the world!
Check out the facts and epic video below and if you love what you see
then please get online and support the application here:
WHAT IS PROPOSED
SURF LAGOON FOR EVERY SKILL LEVEL
CLUBHOUSE WITH RESTAURANTS AND MORE
LEARNING HIVE USING SURF AS A FORM OF THERAPY
SKATE, BMX AND SCOOTER PARK
WELLNESS CENTRE – YOGA AND GYM
15 HOLIDAY LODGES
THIS IS IT
WHY THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DISTRICT OF DOVER
• Places the district at the forefront of the experience-led economy
• Diversification and enhanced resilience of the local tourism sector
• Major boost for the local economy
• Support for disadvantaged young people and positive social impact
• World-class inclusivity facility for people of all ages, abilities and disabilities aiding the financial sustainability of a major community asset
• Putting the district on the map globally as an exciting and innovative destination
• If consented, provides a major catalyst for regeneration and sets up the area to be a success story
• An education platform to help the next generation of environmental changemakers and collaborators
The objectors are painting the picture that all the wildlife in the park will be destroyed. This is not the case. Far, far from it. We would like to get some facts straight.
1 – We are looking to develop only 10% of the park – the aerial image shows how much of the park will remain as open space.
2 – We know that protected insects and plants have been found in the 10% of the park we would be developing on. That is why we are putting a huge amount of time and effort into a plan to help this wildlife thrive at the park for future generations. We will also be buying and will rewild large areas of land outside of the park to support local nature.
3 – One of our biggest concerns are the Lizard Orchids on site. We have over 3,000 of them in the park. 600 are where we want to put the surf park. To help them we are going to move each one individually to areas which will be enhanced and managed for them to thrive, as well as managing large areas of the park to help the Lizard Orchid population spread and grow in the future.
4 – To help the Turtle Doves we will create and protect areas much larger than the hotel and surf park for them to nest and feed. These areas cover a huge 20% (48 acres) of the park. There is also 9 acres of new land we are buying for them right next to the park between the park and the railway line, which will be rewilded, and finally the creation of the Hammill Field Nature Reserve.
5 – Hammill Field Nature Reserve is 15 acres of land near Staple, 6km away from the park. It is a hot spot for Turtle Doves with dozens of Turtle Doves already known to migrate to the area. It is a quiet and undisturbed field that will be rewilded into a habitat perfect for the birds.
6 – We know that Betteshanger Country Park is home to valuable wildlife and our plans have been designed with this in mind. There is currently no management or protection for ecology at the park. We will ensure that the hotel and surf park deliver a wildlife warden and fund the creation and monitoring of richer habitat across huge areas of the park.
7 – Betteshanger Country Park has been a failing space for decades costing taxpayers millions of pounds. We believe we have a solution to secure the future of the park, its wildlife and all the value that both bring to the local community.
8 – The road track is a hugely important part of our future. The proposal is for a bridge over the track to access the surf lagoon. The road track will remain open throughout and we will work with local clubs to minimise disruption. The cycling and MTB trails will also remain and we will look to invest further in our cycle facilities.
9 – The surf lagoon has been located close to the existing access road, visitor centre
and car park so that we can make best use of this existing infrastructure, rather than proposing that a new access and car parking are built on existing open space. The surf lagoon location has also been informed by a sunlight and wind analysis to ensure the best waves and experience for visitors.
10 – The park is an ideal location for the hotel. Dover District Council has identified a lack of high-quality hotels as a key barrier to growth in tourism and the local
economy. The park is ideally located for the area’s world class golf tourism offer and exploring the coastline at Deal. It also taps into demand for experiential tourism including other activities at the park – mountain biking, road cycling, orienteering and nature exploration. These activities also go hand-in-hand with the ethos of the surf lagoon for active lifestyles and to support physical and mental wellbeing.
11 – We have made an application to Southern Water so that upgrades to infrastructure can be funded by the development to ensure that the water supply and connection for the lagoon has no impact on the supply for others in the area. We are
also exploring the possibility of using groundwater sources, again to ensure that the infrastructure is fully funded and delivered for the development without affecting existing water supply or the environment.
12 – The former use of the temporary car park land was as a compound area and storage of materials. Historically, it was the stockyard for the colliery where coal was loaded on to trains for distribution. The area was identified as a reptile receptor area under the planning permission for the creation of the country park in 2002/03. The area has subsequently been disturbed by ongoing works at the country park after 2003 and prior to the current owners taking control in late 2019. Substantial groundworks and vegetation clearance took place between 2007 and 2013, significantly impacting its ecological interest and suitability to support reptile species. There is no clear evidence that reptiles were relocated to this area and it certainly has not been maintained as a receptor area by previous owners of the site. Very low numbers of reptiles have also been recorded in the areas immediately surrounding the site, which supports this conclusion.
