Park plan for Walsall's Grange golf course

A £400,000 country park with picnic areas, horse riding and cycling routes will be created in place of Walsall's municipal golf course after winning approval from council chiefs.

The lush woodland area is lined up in place of The Grange golf course at Walsall Arboretum and will be promoted as a visitor attraction.

The park, which will be funded through external grants rather than council coffers, was given the green light at a Walsall Council cabinet meeting last night.

It is the latest plan for the arboretum, which is undergoing a £7.6million transformation. Councillor Chris Holliday said grants of up to £1,800 per hectare were available from the Forestry Commission for the scheme.

Speaking at last night's meeting, Councillor Anthony Harris, cabinet member for leisure, culture and environment, said: "This is something we should be very proud of. This is a tremendous initiative and achievement.

"We will be successful I believe in attracting funding of almost £400,000, that doesn't have to be match funding and no cost to this council, only to the benefit of the community."

The Grange golf course was used by 13,000 people a year before it closed in January after being named as one of the services to be culled in council cuts.

A campaign was launched to save it, and council chiefs invited expression of interest to private firms which wanted to run it themselves.

But no suitable candidates came forward and it was forced to close.