Plans to create a sprawling park to eventually link Birmingham with the Black Country are set to be unveiled by councillors.
The park, including cycle routes, orchards, grazing and equestrian land, could eventually be developed to link countryside areas of Walsall with woodland sites in West Bromwich, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton as part of a planned Black Country Urban Park.
Walsall Council will be asked to support the proposal to develop the first phase of the plan on the site of the town’s former Grange Golf Course at on Wednesday.
The proposal outlines a series of connected public open spaces to create a “green bridge” across the industrialised region, through Barr Beacon and West Bromwich towards Birmingham.
The initiative would be funded from grant-based schemes and would not require any extra cash from the financially-stretched authority.
The development of the golf course land could be eligible for a government handout of £390,000 and further funding, including Lotto cash, would be available.
About 4,000 trees have already been supplied for the project by the Woodland Trust and the Tree Council.
A report into the proposal said the park would encourage visitors to the town and help safeguard the town’s rich natural heritage.
Walsall leisure boss Coun Anthony Harris said the development would complement a revamp and restoration of the town’s famous Arboretum.
“It will be a magnificent asset and a fabulous extension to the Victorian Arboretum. Everyone is looking forward to what will be a forest in the heart of the Black Country,” he said.
Jo Lester, chairman of Walsall Arboretum User Group, added: “We have great ambition to see this area of the Arboretum extension transformed into a country park.
The site has fantastic potential and there’s a real opportunity for us to develop the site into a wildlife area which many people and visitors to Walsall will greatly appreciate.”
