Work has begun on improvements to a green space in Chatham town centre.

The Paddock, located between Chatham Waterfront Bus Station and the Pentagon Centre, is currently undergoing a £2 million revamp.

The work includes new seating and planted areas, redesigned paths and entrances, better lighting and the creation of a small paved square.

As part of the scheme, the existing amount of lawn space will be retained, while the naval anchor will be relocated across the road to the Chatham Waterfront development to “complement the area’s marine heritage with its location and proximity to the river”, according to Medway Council.

Five “ill” trees – four of them with a limited life expectancy and one being dead or in serious decline – were felled in February to make way for the project.

These will be replaced by five new trees, although the council has not committed to providing an overall net gain in the number of trees.

Public consultations on the plans took place in 2021 and 2022 to gather the views of residents and businesses.

The first consultation from December 2021 to January 2022 received just 78 responses to an online questionnaire.

Meanwhile, the second consultation in July 2022 gained 61 responses to an online questionnaire and 17 responses to a paper questionnaire.

The Paddock will remain closed during the work, which is expected to be completed by March 2024.

The project is being funded by the government’s Future High Streets Fund and is being delivered by contractor Blakedown Landscapes.