Dog walking zone Nieuwenhove

A new dog off-leash zone has been put into use at the Legendale site in Nieuwenhove. The municipal council of Oostkamp was asking for such a dog meadow where owners can let go of their four-legged friend without disturbing others. The Legendale site, near the Nieuwenhovebos, turned out to be the ideal place for the new dog walking zone. The Flemish Land Agency took care of the construction.

The new dog off-leash zone covers 6000 m2. It consists of a grassy square, a sandy grass path, plants, benches and play elements for dogs. The entire zone is closed off with ursus wire and two access locks with chestnut swing gates.

Dog meadows have become very popular in recent years, also in municipalities where many dog owners have a garden. There was therefore a lot of demand among the inhabitants of Oostkamp. The dog off-leash zone on the Legendalesite must also ensure that the dog is kept on a leash in the adjacent Nieuwenhovebos. In addition to the dog walking zone, a small reception car park in stabilized grass has also been constructed for visitors from outside the neighbourhood. Because the grass is not yet fully grown, the parking will only be put into use at the beginning of June. Until then, you can park within walking distance, ie at the end of Nieuwenhovelaan.

The Flemish Land Agency created the dog zone as part of the Nieuwenhove-Gruuthuyse land development plan . The main aim of this is to realize additional cycling, walking and bridle paths in the vicinity of the municipality of Oostkamp. In addition, park and nature areas are being set up, such as the Legendale site here.

A high embankment has been constructed and planted over a length of 450 m; 40 allotments have been laid out, and new footpaths have been laid out, which are now part of the Bulskampveld hiking junction network. The municipality of Oostkamp will manage the site.

Jan de Keyser, mayor of Oostkamp: “ The Legendalesite, a former depot of the municipality of Oostkamp, is a zone of 2.5 ha. This zone had been the property of the municipality for a long time, but we were looking for a new use. The development plan gave us the opportunity to reform this site. We are therefore pleased with the new recreational use with a dog walking zone, allotments and walking paths. They are an absolute added value for our residents. We will use the experiences on this site to possibly set up other dog walking areas.”

Willem Vandenameele