Sturry Road Community Park, Canterbury

Sturry Road Community Park, Canterbury

The land, on the outskirts of Canterbury towards the village of Sturry, just off the A28, was originally acquired by the city council in the dim and distant past.

In the 30s and 40s, the land was leased to a gravel company and most of the site was quarried. After the war, the site became the city’s landfill site and continued to be filled in until 1986. KCC then refused authority and sealed the site to the minimum specification.

In 1999 the Kent Gardens Trust approached the city council with a project to use Land Fill Tax Credit grants to create a community garden. The Kent Gardens Trust and Canterbury City Council set up a Charitable Trust with local people, with funding from the New Opportunities Fund Doorstep Greens and Peoples Places. Canterbury City Council donated the land and both the city and Kent County Council have supported the project with officers, time and cash.

Work began in earnest in 2003 with the creation of the community garden and the play area. The 2nd phase, adding and sculpting thousands of cubic metres of soil, began in 2004. In a small part of the site, a skate board park, BMX track and an arena area together with a picnic site and a wild meadow will be established.

Across the whole site and making up more than half of the site, tree planting will be a major feature. One area will be left unplanted to be used for the International Tree Foundation Scheme. Planting will be carried out each year on the basis of the donations received.

The Dedication Book is kept at the Canterbury City Council Offices, Military Road, Canterbury, CT1 1YW. Tel:01227 862000