A councillor has demanded answers over the creation of the long-awaited Little Marlow Lakes Country Park.

Plans for the proposed green space, first floated in the 1960s, would see a park created between the A404 at Marlow and Bourne End, to the north of the River Thames.

However, Buckinghamshire Council has since watered down the original plans, and Natural England has now warned that the new green space might never be created.

Councillor for the Wooburns, Bourne End & Hedsor Penny Drayton called for clarity on the situation during a council meeting on Wednesday.

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She said: “It seems that it is not going to be the greatest outcome and the 2.3km route within [the park] might not be ideal compared to what was originally envisaged.”

Cllr Drayton referred to Buckinghamshire Council’s 2022 decision not to use its powers under the Countryside Act 1968 to formally designate Little Marlow Lakes Country Park – despite its name – as a ‘country park’.

Instead, the council intends to create the park to mitigate the impact that the planned nearby Hollands Farm housing development could have on the Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation.

Providing a new park to absorb housing pressures in this way is what planners call a ‘suitable alternative natural greenspace’ – or SANG.

SANGs must meet certain criteria, including being at least 10 hectares in size, and have to offer visitors a circular walk of at least 2.3-2.5km and easily accessible car parking.

In its 2022 decision, the council also said it would only pursue the creation of the new park on the 55-hectare parcel of land it owns in the area – mainly the former Spade Oak Quarry.

This is just a sixth of the total 329 hectares of land – currently in multiple private ownerships – that the former Wycombe District Council planned to use for Little Marlow Lakes Country Park.

Cllr Drayton noted that the council only planned to use land it owns for the park but asked what the plans were if the council could not achieve a sufficient route for the park.

She also requested a timescale for the project, adding: “The years go on with it not ever materialising.”

The cabinet member for culture and leisure Clive Harriss said he could not give a timescale, explaining that it was necessary to wait for an upcoming report on how the park will be delivered.

He said: “Our planning team our working with Natural England to see what is required to be supplied to permit the planning applications that have already taken place.”

He added: “from a developer’s point of view, he just wants to be able to turn around and say, there is your SANG, I’ve built my houses, I’m happy, I’m off’.”

Cllr Drayton replied: “The issue is that the land was available, and the council didn’t purchase it and now seem to be trying to make do with what is left.”

Last month, Natural England objected to the Hollands Farm planning application due to the lack of progress over Little Marlow Lakes Country Park.

The public body said: “There is recent uncertainty around the deliverability of the project and therefore it cannot be relied upon as suitable mitigation to avoid adverse effects upon the integrity of the Special Area of Conservation.”

Buckinghamshire Council has been approached for comment.