Central Park
Since 1906, Central Park has been the green heart of Dartford - so popular in its heyday that trippers would come from miles around to enjoy the attractions, river and formal gardens.
Today, the park’s mix of sports facilities, open space and gardens is still much loved by local people but after a hundred years it’s not surprising that it’s need of a little tender loving care.
A century on, we’d like to restore some of the Park’s long-lost traditional features and put it back at the heart of local life. With your help we can make this wonderful Edwardian space fit for a new generation.
The Vision
We will be provide more recreation, more sport, more gardens, more entertainment and more places to rest and relax. We want there to be more for kids and families – a safe haven from our busy town.
We’ve already made a great start. The council now owns 23 acres of former GlaxoSmithKline land, which is soon to become the biggest single addition in the park’s history.
Better still, this means that Dartford’s historic river will be back at the heart of the park rather than a forgotten boundary.The Council Leader, Jeremy Kite, has also confirmed that there will be no road through Central Park as part of any regeneration plan – meaning more space for people.
The Council with support from its partners is investing millions of pounds into regenerating the park which will fulfil our ambition to restore it to its Edwardian spelndour. Currently the park is undergoing some essential works to make this vision a reality.
Thanks to our expansion, Central Park is home to sports like athletics, football, bowls and tennis, but there’s much more to Parks than sport. How about lazing on a sunny afternoon listening to music from a new bandstand?
Or families paddling in a brand new water play? Your ideal day in the Park might mean tea and cakes in the new tearooms or a family picnic.
It could be just walking the dog in the evening or enjoying the new wildflower meadows.
The historic Acacia Hall will also be sensitively renovated making it ideal for parties, receptions and weddings, and we’re looking to provide fantastic new family facilities – for swimming, leisure and fitness.
Projects
This vision is becoming a reality for Dartford's residents to enjoy with lots of projects already taking shape, and being delivered.
