Plans have been submitted for new allotments and a community garden at a disused former plant nursery.

Medway Council plans to create 23 quarter-size plots, a community tree nursery and community garden at Cozenton Park.

There will also be raised planting beds for people with limited mobility.

The site of the former plant nursery, which has sat unused for some time, will be redeveloped for the project.

The existing glasshouses, poly-tunnels and temporary buildings will be demolished for the new features as the council says they’re beyond repair.

They will make way for a community garden and tree nursery, which the authority hopes will provide an outdoor space for leisure, as well as providing educational opportunities.

The plans are currently in the very early stages, and designs for the layout are to be submitted by construction consultant Fulker Bailey Russell.

No costings for the redevelopment have been made yet, but Medway Council has £322,000 in section 106 payments - mitigation contributions from developers when building housing - for improvements to the park which will partially be used.

The move has been welcomed by Stuart Bourne of the Medway Lib Dems, who previously a gardener at Buckingham Palace for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

He says the proposals would be a fantastic way to get people active and involved with understanding plant life.

Outlining the need for more allotments in the Towns, he said: “I'm a gardener, I know the advantages of getting your hands dirty and growing stuff with your hands, the positive attitude it can have for health and mental well-being.

“It's good for the environment, low carbon footprint, so to see it happening is so exciting.”

Mr Bourne submitted a freedom of information request in 2023 and found the waiting list for allotments in the Towns had risen from 700 in 2018 to more than 2000 people.

READ MORE: Thousands in Kent waiting to grow their own as demand soars for allotments

He believes the council did not create enough for years, and needs to get on with it now.

He added: “There was a massive spike around Covid. I think people were excited about going out and growing their own.

“But there was already a huge waiting list and the council hasn’t done anything to lower that.

“Over the last 10 to 20 years, we haven’t built nearly enough of allotments for the amount of people who want them.”

At a full council meeting held on October 17, a public question was raised which asked how the authority was going to increase the number of allotments available.

Portfolio holder for climate change and strategic regeneration Cllr Simon Curry (Lab) said allotments were included as a specific aspect of a recent study of Medway’s greenspaces which will come up with solutions to the shortages.

He said: “I think this is a hugely important area of work that I am personally committed to, especially in relation to health and well-being, as well as the contribution allotments make to our local communities.

“This is something I’ll really be focusing on a lot for the next few months.”