Surfing tourism is an exciting and emerging leisure sector across the world. We were thrilled to be appointed as the Landscape Architects on the project and commissioned to undertake the LVIA, landscape strategy report, and the landscape architectural design for the development of a surfing-centred leisure and tourism facility hub, The Net Zero The Sea Hive’ in Betteshanger Country Park in Kent.
This unique, eco-conscious, and pioneering project will see the creation of a Wavegarden Surf Lagoon – an outdoor, artificially created wave pool for safer inland surfing (only the second of its kind in England) and the creation of a Lagoon Surf Hub, a beautifully nature-rooted building with a green roof consisting of changing, training, briefing, cafe, restaurant, and working facilities.
The proposal also consists of small water pools for non-surfing visitors, a wellness centre, a flat track skatepark, a designated area to house mental health surf therapy initiatives, and a 120-bed spa hotel and holiday lodges. Forming part of the 250-acre Betteshanger Park, the site was formerly used as a spoil tip for Betteshanger Colliery, one of the largest historic coal collieries in Kent. We are excited by the potential that this pioneering scheme offers to celebrate nature and place it at the centre of the design vision. Through visionary designed green infrastructure, it will create a vibrant sustainable community.
Read or listen to the latest information in this piece by Kent Online.
