Plans for a 120-bed luxury hotel and spa at a country park have been rejected over environmental concerns.

Planning councillors last night voted against the scheme for Betteshanger Country Park, near Deal, citing fears over increased pollution and loss of open space.

Ahead of the meeting, those against the project had gathered outside council offices in protest, holding signs reading “concrete is forever. So’s nature if left alone” and “save our wildlife”.

Those in support of the scheme, such as a former miner, had also attended, and spoke of how the hotel would help keep in people’s minds the legacy of the Kent coalfield.

Bosses behind the scheme – who are also proposing to build a huge surf park at Betteshanger – say they are “disappointed” over the decision, and are now considering their options.

More than 600 written objections had been sent to Dover District Council’s planning portal over the multi-million pound development - but council officers had still recommended approval.

But in the end the planning committee voted against it by six to one, plus three abstentions.

Councillors believed the development would mean the loss of part of a designated open space and were worried about its scale and intensity.

They feared it would have an impact on the local wildlife including rare and endangered turtle doves.

Planning committee member Cllr Jeff Loffman (Lab) told the meeting: “I am concerned about air quality.

“The number of car journeys from this would be significant. There could be detrimental, possibly irreversible damage to the environment.”

Cllr Lynne Wright (Lab) added: “There would be huge numbers of people using a small road. I am concerned about car usage and pollution.”

Cllr Stacey Blair (Lab) was also worried about pollution, saying guests would have to travel to the hotel by car.

Cllr David Cronk (Lab) said the A258 Deal to Sandwich Road, a key route for the country park, was already “chock-a-block”.

Committee chairman Michael Nee (Lab) noted the amount of organisations against the scheme such as the RSPB, Council for the Protection of Rural England, and Kent Wildlife Trust.

He told the meeting: “They are all concerned for environmental reasons. I am unable to support this application because of the significant harm it might do to the environment.”

Susan Sullivan, of the Friends of Betteshanger campaign group, had spoken against the application during the meeting.

She told KentOnline afterwards: “I am delighted to think that the environment has trumped economic growth. It’s marvellous.”

Campaigner Helen Charlton added: “I’m absolutely jubilant. It’s not what we expected, it’s what we hoped for. I’m so emotional.”

Management at Betteshanger County Park, in Sandwich Road, had applied to create a 120-bedroom hotel with associated spa facilities, gym, restaurant/bar, access, landscaping and parking.

The main hotel building would comprise two wings each 17.8m wide and up to 86m long.

A surfing lagoon is also planned in a separated application, which will be examined by the council in due course.

Those representing the applicants told the meeting the development would be a great boost to local tourism and the economy, also creating local jobs.

They said an overnight stay at the country park was in economic terms 8.5 times more than a day trip there.

It was stressed that the country park needed to diversify to make it economically viable.

The park was previously the spoil tip for Betteshanger Colliery, which closed in 1989.

The last miner there, who oversaw the closure, spoke at the meeting to support the application.

Jim Davies said keeping the site vibrant would help keep in people’s minds the legacy of the coalfield.

He told councillors: “From 1989 to 2000 Betteshanger was left to rot.

“The site would have ended up like Snowdown Colliery and you want to see how that is.

“There has been no work there since 1987 (its year of closure).

“A lot of people still don’t know there were coal mines in Kent.

“The area where the hotel is planned used to be a stacking area for coal when the coal trains were loaded.”

Mr Davies is now a trustee of Kent Mining Heritage Foundation, which is involved in the running of Kent Mining Museum, also at the park.

A total 622 letters of objections had been sent by residents to the council’s planning portal.

Apart from worries about harm to wildlife and traffic problems some said the area did not need a hotel.

A total 5% of the residents responding, 33, were in favour saying quality hotels were needed in the area, that it would be good for tourism and that this would actually be built on a brownfield site.

Alan Sutherland, in support, said on the portal: “The district needs new injections of industry, and this is a positive step towards that.”

Del and Walmer Chamber of Trade said the area needed a major hotel as visitors were going to them in other areas.

A spokesman for Betteshanger Country Park said about last night’s vote: “We are very disappointed by Dover District Council’s decision.

“We are considering our options going forward.”