New pocket parks come to Maidstone town centre, come rain or shine
Work has started on three new pocket parks in Maidstone town centre, at St Faith's Street, Brewer Street and Union Street. The project is part of Maidstone Borough Council's drive to improve the town centre environment and help it adapt to increasingly extreme weather.
Shaded, tree-lined streets can feel many degrees cooler than areas dominated by concrete and tarmac, and the new pocket parks will introduce trees, planting and sustainable rain gardens into areas currently dominated by hard surfaces. As well as boosting biodiversity and creating stepping stones for wildlife, the schemes will turn underused stretches of highway into attractive places to stop, rest and enjoy the town centre, with new seating, planting and upgraded paving.
The key driver for this project, however, is delivering local surface water drainage improvements. All three sites sit on steep gradients, where the trend towards more intense rainfall events is raising surface water flood risk. The 'rain garden' component of the three new pocket parks is therefore vital in supporting climate change adaptation in the town centre, helping Maidstone cope come rain or shine.
A more welcoming, greener town centre is also good news for local shops and businesses. Attractive, shaded streets encourage people to linger, stay longer and spend more time browsing rather than rushing through, helping to drive footfall and support Maidstone's retailers, cafes and market traders. Towns that invest in high-quality public realm are consistently shown to be more appealing shopping destinations, giving Maidstone a stronger pitch against out-of-town centres and online retail.
The scheme was approved through the planning process, with the council's report concluding it would deliver environmental and visual improvements, support the public realm, and improve the setting of nearby conservation areas and heritage assets.
Temporary road closures will be needed to carry out the work safely. St Faith's Street will close between Week Street and Station Road, with smaller closures on parts of Brewer Street and Union Street. The work is expected to take around six weeks.
Councillor Clive English, Deputy Leader for Maidstone Borough Council and Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Enforcement, said:
"These pocket parks will bring more trees and planting into the heart of Maidstone, helping to create a cooler, more attractive and welcoming town centre for everyone. The works will cause some short-term disruption, and I would like to thank residents, businesses and visitors for their patience, as the long-term benefits will be enjoyed for years to come."
