A PHARMACEUTICAL giant is gearing up to hand over control of a 23-acre park site to Dartford Council.

GlaxoSmithKline will officially hand over Acacia Hall to its new owners, the council, on July 1.

Glaxo took over ownership of the land in 1995 after it merged with Burroughs Wellcome, which had owned the site since the early 1900s. The site, part of Central Park, was bought by the council last June for £4.1m and boasts a ballroom, a bar, a restaurant, tennis courts and green space.

Under terms of the sale the council must continue to provide services for to up to 3,000 Acacia Club members, who use the leisure facilities and include GSK workers, for the next 10 years.

A public consultation will be held by the council in September to discover how residents and businesses would like to see the site developed.

Ideas could include a swimming pool or a new home for performing arts school Bird College.

Council leader Councillor Jeremy Kite said: "We have bought this on behalf of the public because we want people to wander through it and use it.

"This is all about increasing the size of Central Park for the public."

The Department for Communities and Local Government is currently considering the council's £90m proposals to transform Central Park and Lowfield Street, which aims to regenerate the town and improve leisure facilities.

But the proposals, which could see a road run through the park and a Tesco superstore built, have proved controversial with residents.