Could Kingston Council be about to welcome lush green grasses, forestry, woodlands or animals to an open space near you?

Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis has announced plans for a new country park where residents will be able to enjoy spending time in an open space close to home.

He said: "There are a lack of parks in Kingston. There are not as many open spaces as we could have.

"There is the Fairfield and Memorial Gardens but if we are going to build more houses we need more open spaces for people to have picnics and enjoy the weather.

"If there is going to be new homes built we need leisure facilities lined up for that because it is an important part of Kingston being a good place to live."

But Marilyn Mason, co-chair of Kingston Environment Forum and secretary of Transition Town Kingston, said: "Whereabouts? What are they going to knock down?

"There is a difference between a golf course and a wildlife park.

"Something like Richmond Park on a smaller scale would be good but it’s difficult to know where it would be."

She added she would like to see wildlife, meadows or woodlands in the borough.

Although Coun Davis was unable to say exactly where he was looking for a country park, he said: "Why can’t Kingston have open places like Richmond do? I don’t see why we can’t. We have just got to look for it."