![Medway Council Leader, Cllr Vince Maple (left), and Deputy Mayor of Medway, Cllr Douglas Hamandishe, officially open The Paddock in Chatham](http://www.medway.gov.uk/images/Z8N_5337_1.jpg)
New town centre gardens can now be enjoyed by all in Chatham, following the official opening of The Paddock.
Nearly £2.8 million from the government’s Future High Streets Fund has helped to transform the space, celebrating Chatham's heritage as well as making the area more accessible.
A grand opening event on Tuesday, 13 August, saw Medway Council leaders joined by Medway Development Company and design and construction representatives, to celebrate the newly landscaped and restructured area between Chatham Waterfront Bus Station and the Pentagon Shopping Centre.
Contractors Blakedown Landscapes began work to transform The Paddock last summer, following the vision from designers HTA Design to create a vibrant public space for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Those ambitions have come to fruition with the launch of the new space, which now benefits from increased biodiversity through a diverse range of planting, as well as improved seating, accessibility, CCTV and lighting. Other improvements have been designed to celebrate the area's heritage, with engraved paving showing a historic map of Chatham, reflecting the area’s proud history.
Among the standout features is the brand-new amphitheatre, providing a fantastic social space which could be used for future outdoor events, with further features such as accessible lawns and trees.
A central aspect of the design concept was to link the Waterfront, town centre and Great Lines – and visitors will now notice the redesign has created a clear line of vision from Chatham train station to the Brook Theatre.
Cllr Simon Curry, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration, said: “The redesigned Paddock area is a great addition to Chatham – providing a relaxing outdoor space with a wealth of different plant species to improve biodiversity. Medway is already a great place to live and work but regeneration projects like this are continuing to make it even better for everyone who lives and works here. This is a particularly exciting time for Chatham with developments like Garrison Point and Chatham Waterfront transforming the area and projects like the new James Williams Healthy Living Centre and Ascend, our new Innovation Hub providing a modern workspace for businesses, bringing more assets to the town centre.”
Learn more about The Paddock and other regeneration projects that have taken place across Chatham.