The Civic Society

for Gravesend and Northfleet

The fight to save Saint Andrew’s Gardens


Urban Gravesham have applied to Kent County Council to have the much loved St Andrew’s Gardens declared as a ‘Town Green’. If successful this would mean that it would be an offence to built upon the Gardens. The application sets out to prove that a significant number of the local people have used St Andrew’s Gardens for lawful sports and pastimes without hindrance and by right for the last 20 years. If this is accepted by Kent County Council then the land will be designated a town green and protected from development in perpetuity. 

Despite dropping proposals for a massively unpopular 32 storey tower on the Gardens, both the Council and its development partner Edinburgh House Estates have refused to concede that the Gardens should not be developed. In March 2009, they decisively rejected Urban Gravesham’s proposal to protect St Andrews Garden’s by objecting to Urban Gravesham’s town green application.

It is all the more distressing that the Council and the developers have not sought to dispute any of Urban Gravesham’s overwhelming evidence about the use of the Gardens. They have not disputed that the gardens are well used and much loved by the people of Gravesend. Instead, they are attempting to exploit a legal loophole in an attempt to allow massive housing development on the Gardens. 



Urban Gravesham’s opinion:

This is a cynical and disgraceful action by the Council. We are desperately disappointed that the Council has sought to oppose our application to safeguard these riverside gardens as a permanent green space for the recreational use of the people of Gravesend.

The town green application should have been the perfect opportunity for the Gravesham Borough Council to support our application and accept they were wrong to even contemplate building on these well-loved gardens. It is a shame that Council Leader, Mike Snelling, who is always telling us how little money the Council has, seems willing to spend large sums on a lengthy legal battle which would prove deeply unpopular with residents.

We remain confident that of winning this fight to save the Gardens because our campaign has the support of so many local people. We look forward to presenting our case to the registration authority, Kent County Council.



What happens next?

Kent County Council will now consider the legal case for and against designating St Andrews Gardens as a town Green. They are likely to arrange a formal hearing at which Urban Gravesham and the Council can argue their cases. No date has been yet been set for the hearing. 

How you can help

*    Please write to the Council Leader, Mike Snelling objecting to the Council’s continued  opposition to the Town green Application- Mike Snelling, Leader, Gravesham Council, Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, DA12 1AU

*    Please write to Adam Holloway, MP for Gravesend, c/o House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA about the importance of keeping the gardens for the people of Gravesend.

*     Last but not least - join Urban Gravesham! Encourage your friends and relatives to join Urban Gravesham. In return we will:
        * keep you informed
        * represent your views
        * campaign against this development