Multi-million pound plans for a water sports centre have been approved.

St Andrew's Lakes, known as the Blue Lake, in Halling, is due to host a range of water-based activities and accommodation for holidaymakers after £13 million proposals to transform the area were put forward.

The secretary of state's office will now get the final say on whether the plans - which were first revealed in 2019 - can go ahead.

The disused chalk quarry beside the St Andrew's Park development and the A228 currently provides for activities including open water swimming, fishing, paddle boarding, and canoeing.

Those behind the development, St Andrew's Leisure Development Ltd, applied to Medway Council to build a number of other facilities on the site including a fishing lodge, a floating pontoon, changing facilities, a café, zip wires, a visitors' car park, and environmental enhancements.

This will allow for a greater number of activities including rowing, sailing, and windsurfing.

There will also be 30 waterside holiday lets, 10 of which will be "floating" pods established on stilts on the banks of the lake.

Although concerns were raised about traffic generation and the potential environmental impact of the development - the site falls within the green belt, the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB), and the North Downs Special Landscape Area – councillors unanimously approved the plans last night (Wednesday).

The authority's head of planning Dave Harris explained a referral to the secretary of state was required because it was a non-agricultural development on green belt land of a large scale.

Cllr Adrian Gulvin (Con), said while he welcomed the site coming back into use, he had concerns about security and the risk of people who are tempted to take a dip in the lake breaking into the site.

He said: "I'm quite supportive of this because I think we've got a quite difficult site there. It's left over from Medway's industrial past but it's not really a brownfield site any more.

"I think safety is a big issue on the site. It has been of concern where unfortunately young teenagers do not seem to take notice of what is patently obvious that it's exceptionally dangerous and they think going in there for a swim is fine.

"The stress that puts onto the blue light services is quite enormous. The police, ambulance, and fire have to go out and sort the thing out if there's tragic consequences.

"I think bringing this site into some kind of use is a good thing. I think by the looks of it, it's getting the right balance of getting a profit out of it but also fitting it into its environment."

One of the conditions for allowing the development was that the applicants have an on-site security unit.