Harbour Village will include many ecological and green spaces. When it is completed there will be more trees than there are currently on the site. The new trees will be from a greater mix of species, mostly indigenous to Kent, providing more food for birds and more colours to the neighbourhood. There will be tree-lined streets stretching from Chimney View Park to the Thames. Sometimes trees will have to be removed into order to create new and better spaces. Where this happens new trees will be planted nearby. This often means that old, unhealthy trees are replaced with younger, healthier trees which should flourish and last longer. Below are examples of the trees planned for the first phase of the development
The first phase of the project, the new Chimney View Park, is underway. EDC has given planning permission and work has begun. It is due to open in the spring of 2023, but will open as soon as possible once it is safe for it to do so. It will be a community space with fruit trees and informal growing spaces alongside loose drifts of herbaceous planting. The design and play experiences within the park have been shaped by the ideas of local children who took part in our recent competition.
There will be more green spaces in the newly created Bevan’s Park behind Lawn Community Primary School. This will include a football pitch, which will be run by the school. Click here to learn more about Bevans Park.