THE announcement of plans to turn a former golf course into a wildlife oasis in Carlisle has been welcomed by the public.

The Swifts, in the city, will become a wildlife haven with the help of funding from the Environment Agency and Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust.

The site had been a golf driving range but it reverted back to Carlisle City Council in 2018 and has been a green space for the public since then.

Proposals for its future has been welcomed by News & Star readers online.

They were excited about the prospect of an urban space that would be an oasis for butterflies and bees.

Grace Walker wrote on the News & Star Facebook page: “This looks to be a really interesting project. More projects like this needed.”

Sylvia Bulman added: “Good, a lot of places are so sanitised with concrete, fences and gravel.”

Another reader simply said: “Wowser!”

One reader wrote on the News & Star website: “This is awesome news, I look forward to visiting this space in the future.”

However, there was some concern among readers regarding the cost of the regeneration of the space.

It comes in at £88,000 but funding has been secured by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

The restoration works will complement the Get Cumbria Buzzing project which creates havens for pollinators.

Get Cumbria Buzzing aims to create 115 hectares of wildflower habitats that will boost these vital species.

But one reader wrote: “at a cost of 80,000?”