Residents in Sittingbourne, Kent, now have access to a large new public park after Swale Borough Council completed the legal acquisition of over 20 hectares (approximately 50 acres) of land on February 5, 2026. The council has taken ownership of the site in Bapchild to create a permanent Country Park for nature walks and exercise.
The land, located between the A2 (London Road) and the railway line, had previously been held by private developers as part of the Stones Farm / East Hall Farm planning history. By bringing the fields into public ownership, the council has secured them as green space and halted the prospect of future residential or industrial development on the site.
The new Bapchild Country Park contains a mix of meadow, woodland and scrubland and will provide habitat for local wildlife such as skylarks and great crested newts. Conservation groups and local plans have long described the area as an important green corridor in the borough.
The project was made possible through agreements with housing developers that included a commuted sum — a one-off payment — to fund the park’s maintenance. The council’s papers state developers provided a lump-sum payment to cover the site’s maintenance for the first 10–20 years. An official opening ceremony is being planned for spring 2026.
Bapchild Parish Council members have long campaigned to protect the gap between Bapchild village and the expanding Sittingbourne urban area, and they welcomed the acquisition. Local volunteers are also forming a community group to help care for the park with litter picks, habitat monitoring and other practical tasks.
Notes: the council describes the acquisition as the formal adoption of the site for a ‘Bapchild Country Park’ and links the transfer to Section 106 / commuted-sum arrangements tied to nearby housing permissions.
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