Burlish Country Park Commonly Asked Questions

Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) is a 40-hectare public open space owned and managed by Wyre Forest District Council. The site was returned to council management in 2018 following the liquidation of the previous golf course tenant and has since been managed to improve biodiversity, public access and habitat quality.

No. Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) is not a formally designated Local Nature Reserve or Conservation Area.  

It is a council-owned public open space managed for biodiversity and public enjoyment.  

Yes. Wyre Forest District Council owns Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) and manages the site.

Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) site is 40 hectares and the proposal relates to approximately 8.5 hectares of land, so around 21% of the site. 

Yes. The council has invested in habitat management and access improvements, including fencing, ragwort control, pedestrian gates and tree planting. 

Following detailed review work, expenditure attributed to the proposed disposal area totals £21,960 since 2018. Additional expenditure has been made elsewhere across the wider Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) site.

The Forward Plan February to May 2026 was first published on the Council's website for public access in January 2026. This included details of upcoming land disposals.

No final decision has been made to sell the land. 

Cabinet has agreed in principle. As the land is public open space, the Council is required by law to publish a statutory notice before making a final decision. This was published on Friday 17 July. The notice, which is also available online, will include details of how objections can be submitted. The deadline for submissions is Friday 14 August. 

The proposal under consideration relates to a request from Kidderminster Harriers Football Club. 

The club first approached the council in November 2024 as part of a wider proposal involving several land interests.

The proposal relates to land adjacent to facilities already used by Kidderminster Harriers Football Club. 

The proposal arose from a specific submission concerning land next to the club's existing operations rather than through a council-led search for a site.

The council has not undertaken an independent site selection exercise or options appraisal comparing Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) with alternative locations. 

The proposal being considered arose from a specific request relating to land adjacent to existing football facilities.

No. Negotiations are ongoing and no purchase price has been agreed. 

Land valuation information is commercially sensitive while negotiations remain ongoing. 

Releasing valuation information at this stage could affect its ability to achieve best value for taxpayers.

No.

Any future disposal remains subject to further decision-making processes and legal requirements.

The Council is required to comply with a range of statutory obligations, including those relating to the disposal of public land and public open space. 

In particular, the Council must have regard to its duties under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, which generally requires local authorities to obtain the best consideration reasonably obtainable when disposing of land. This means the Council must be satisfied that any disposal represents appropriate value and accords with its legal responsibilities. 

Yes. 

Any future development proposal would require a separate planning application, and this would be considered through the normal planning process. 

Planning applications require assessment against planning policies and any supporting surveys or technical documents required by the Local Planning Authority.

The council does not hold a separate business case for the proposed disposal beyond the published Cabinet report.

The council reports that management measures have included: 

• Conservation grazing 
• Pond creation 
• Tree planting 
• Habitat creation 
• Ragwort control 
• Accessibility improvements 

The council has also reported observations including Green-winged Orchid and developing ant colonies on the site. 

No. 

The council does not hold a published Ecological Impact Assessment for the proposed disposal area.

No published Biodiversity Net Gain assessment is currently held by the council; however, a Biodiversity Enhancement Assessment Report was published by Natural Networks in 2019 for the wider Burlish Meadows site.

No Flood Risk Assessment relating to the proposal is currently held by the council. 

Any future planning application may require supporting technical assessments depending on planning requirements.

No Climate Change Impact Assessment, Carbon Assessment or Sustainability Appraisal has been undertaken in relation to the proposal at this stage. 

Any required assessments would be considered through the planning application process. 

A reptile survey was undertaken in 2019 by the Worcestershire Reptile and Amphibian Group. 

The council has also carried out regular site monitoring and ecological observations, with records submitted to the Worcestershire Biological Records Centre.

Yes. 

Representations can be made through the statutory public advertisement process relating to the proposed disposal of public open space. 

These representations will be considered as part of future decision-making. 

In addition, there will be further opportunities for public engagement through the planning process, should a planning application be submitted. This process provides another opportunity for local people to comment on any proposed development and for those comments to be considered before any planning decision is made. 

Comments received through the statutory public notice process will be reported to Cabinet as part of a future report. All representations will be carefully considered and taken into account before any further decisions are made regarding the proposed disposal. 

If a planning application is subsequently submitted, any comments received through the planning consultation process will also be considered as part of the determination of that application. Planning decisions are made in accordance with planning legislation and the Development Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. All relevant representations received during the planning process will be taken into account before a decision is made. 

Anyone wishing to object to the proposed disposal of land at Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) should submit their comments in writing, stating the grounds for their objection, no later than Friday 14 August 2026. Responses can be sent by post to:

Jamie Sloan
Corporate Policy Officer
Wyre Forest District Council
Wyre Forest House
Finepoint Way
Kidderminster
DY11 7WF

or by email to jamie.sloan@wyreforestdc.gov.uk.

Further details, including the statutory disposal notice and supporting information, are available on the Council's website. The statutory disposal notice was published in the Kidderminster Standard on Friday 17 July 2026.

To help ensure your views are properly considered, you should clearly explain the reasons for your support, objection, or comments on the proposal. Where possible, provide specific details of the issues you would like the Council to take into account. Responses may be grouped with similar comments for reporting purposes, but any distinct or substantive issues raised will be considered separately where appropriate.

All consultation responses received by the Council will be logged and considered as part of the consultation process. Due to the volume of responses received, individual acknowledgements may not always be issued immediately, but every response submitted before the consultation deadline will be included in the review process.

Yes. Every consultation response received will be read and considered before any decision is made. This is necessary to ensure that all substantive issues raised by respondents are identified and taken into account.

The substance of consultation responses will be reflected in a summary report presented to Cabinet. Given the potentially large number of responses received, it is unlikely that every response will be reproduced in full. Instead, comments may be summarised or paraphrased while preserving their meaning.

Responses raising similar issues will be grouped so that common themes can be clearly identified and reported. This helps avoid unnecessary repetition and allows decision-makers to understand both the range and frequency of issues raised.

All responses will be reviewed in full before being categorised. The summary process is intended to organise comments by theme and issue, not to exclude substantive points. Any significant or unique matters raised during the consultation will be included in the information provided to decision-makers.

The Council intends to identify and report the volume of responses received, including, where appropriate, the number of responses expressing support, objection, or other views on the proposal.

Cabinet members will receive a report summarising the consultation responses, including the key issues and concerns raised by respondents, before taking any decision on the proposal.

No. Grouping responses is an administrative method of presenting consultation feedback clearly and concisely. Where multiple respondents raise the same issue, those comments may be reported together with an indication of how frequently the issue was raised. This does not diminish the significance of any individual response.

Consultation responses are an important factor in the Council's decision-making process. The issues raised through the consultation will be considered alongside other relevant information, including legal, environmental, financial and planning considerations, before any final decision is made.

No. 

A land disposal decision does not grant planning permission. 

Any future development proposal would be subject to a separate planning application process.

No formal consultation with statutory agencies or stakeholder organisations had taken place so far.

Yes. 

Volunteers have supported a range of activities across the site, including clearing fly tipping and tree planting.

The site is not a formally designated Nature Reserve or Local Nature Reserve. On the signs, the term nature reserve is used as a general description rather than an official designation. It helps indicate that the area is managed to support wildlife and nature conservation. The wording was chosen because it is easy for visitors to understand and allows consistent signage to be used across different sites, regardless of their formal designation.

• Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) 
• Wyre Forest District Council Biodiversity Duty Report 
• Wyre Forest District Local Plan

• Cabinet report agenda: Disposal of part of Burlish Country Park (known as Burlish Meadows) (additional paper)
• Overview and Scrutiny reports relating to the proposal
• Forward Plan February to May 2026 (this document was first published on the Council's website for public access in January 2026).
  
  

• Cabinet to consider sale of part of country park