The 300-acre site, which was abandoned by UK Coal 20 years ago, will undergo remedial work before paths are built in May.
Conservationists had argued the site should be left undisturbed as it was a breeding ground for rare birds.
Gedling Borough Council leader John Clarke said it was too dangerous to be left alone.
He said: "It's actually a dangerous site; there are bits of metal sticking out [of the ground] and holes that are not covered.
"A lot of people have said just leave it, but you can't leave a site like this. Sooner or later there will be an accident."
The authority has also given the go-ahead for a solar farm to be located at the former spoil tip in the middle of the park.
Mark Glover, chairman of the Gedling Conservation Trust, had said building a solar farm in the middle of a country park would be an eyesore.
However, Mr Clarke said the facility was small compared with the rest of the site and the energy generated would contribute to the running of the new park from the autumn.

The track broke streaming records, earning the highest first-week streams for a single in the UK with more than 2.03 million plays.
Drag Me Down is One Direction's first single as a foursome since band mate Zayn Malik left and has had more than 17.7 million streams to date globally.
The band shot the video for 'Drag Me Down' at NASA's headquarters in Houston yesterday.
According to the Official Charts Company, Calvin Harris and Disciples' How Deep Is Your Love climbed from six to two and last week's number one, Black Magic by Little Mix, fell to three.
The top five was rounded off with Lost Frequencies' Are You With Me at four, and Years & Years' Shine at five.

About 10 caravans arrived at the King George V playing fields car park in Topsham Road, Exeter on Friday.
Nigel Parker, the Central Youth Football Club chairman, said he could not have children walking through their campsite to the changing rooms and had cancelled all games this weekend.
He described the situation as "irritating".
"They are parked next to the changing rooms. I couldn't take the risk," said Mr Parker.
The site has a number of full-sized football pitches, a youth rugby pitch and a children's playground.
Labour councillor Marcel Choules said: "It's disastrous that the football matches have had to be cancelled as a result.
"People aren't against travellers, what people are against is the disruption caused."
A spokesman for Exeter City Council, which owns the site, said they have attended for an initial inspection.
The travellers are yet to comment.
Work has begun to transform the former Gedling Colliery site into a £1.1m country park.
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One Direction have topped the UK singles chart with their new single Drag Me Down.
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Fourteen football matches have been cancelled after travellers set up camp next to playing fields.