A New York-style ‘pollinator park’ along the city wall is part of multimillion-pound plans to transform Canterbury’s heritage assets.

Those behind the vision to see the city compete with the top tourist hotspots across the UK and Europe say it “could change beyond recognition this decade”.

Turning the city wall into a green haven of wildflowers akin to Manhattan’s High Line park, transforming Canterbury’s crumbling castle into an amphitheatre, and renovating the Dane John Gardens are among the aspirations of the city council.

To make its ambitions a reality, the authority is preparing a bid for £20 million of government funding to kickstart the “game-changing” process.

Other aspects of the scheme include creating a new ‘shared space’ square at Westgate Towers, turning the Guildhall council chamber into a visitor attraction and planting new trees on the dry moat below the city wall, next to the ring-road.

Given the title of Canterbury’s Tales of England, the council-led project is an effort to “cement the city’s place on the map” and turn it into a cultural destination.

The potential funding comes from a £4.6 billion Levelling Up Fund aimed to boost often-overlooked places.

Canterbury has been ranked by the government as a ‘high priority’ location, meaning it stands a good chance of claiming the cash.

With that target money in mind, the council has revealed its plans – which have been four years in the making – to transform some of the city’s most important historical assets.

Council leader Ben Fitter-Harding (Con) said: “It’s an opportunity to reboot Canterbury’s entire heritage offering, and give the city a real international appeal which puts it on the world stage.

“Visitor numbers have declined over the years and I think that’s partly a problem of under investment in the assets.

“Obviously it’s difficult to spend money on those things as we have other priorities and other people that need council support, so it’s difficult to spend large amounts of taxpayer money on that.

“So to have an opportunity to take the city’s heritage to the next level is incredible.

“We can use this money to create something really special that will cement the city’s place on the map, boost our economy, create jobs for the long term, deliver parts of the council’s green agenda and bring benefits to people’s health and wellbeing.

“If we are successful, Canterbury as we know it could change beyond recognition in this decade.”

Cllr Fitter-Harding believes that for a place with such world-renowned history the city is under-utilising its biggest draw.

He says the proposed developments drawn up in the plan hold the key to unlocking the sleeping giant and turning Canterbury into one of Europe’s go-to destinations.

“The idea springs from the fact we are not making enough of the history and heritage all around us – we’re just not tapping into them,” he said.

“A lot of work has gone into thinking of ways we can turn that situation around, and I’m hugely proud of what we’ve come up with. It’s an ambition of mine to make this city a better place, and this can do that.”

Councillors sitting on the policy committee will today (Thursday) vote on whether to spend £125,000 devising an official bid for the cash. If agreed upon, the authority will then finalise its bid and submit its proposals for the funding.

Due to the scale of the developments, the £20m will not cover the full cost of the project, with hopes the remaining money will be raised from the National Lottery Hertiage Fund and other investors.

City Wall

One of the most eye-catching plans is to turn the length of the city wall into a 'pollinator park' - a green haven with wildflowers and hub for biodiversity.

It takes inspiration from High Line park in New York - a 1.6km greenway built on what was formerly an elevated section of the New York Central Railroad.

The Canterbury proposals would see plants drape over the battlements and transform the wall into a nature-led walkway.

The six towers dotted along the historic defence would be fitted with seating nooks and sculptural features, while space for concessions would also be set up.

"Although the city walls are incredibly beautiful, they are at the moment just a pathway," Cllr Fitter-Harding said. "We can turn them into a pollinator park, a lot like the High Line in Manhattan.

"It can become an incredible experience, with plants and potentially places to buy things and enjoy up there."

Down below the wall, trees will be planted on the grassy bank which sits beside the ring-road.

Canterbury Castle

In a crumbling state and closed off to the public for four years, the castle ruins are one of Canterbury's severely overlooked assets.

The council owns the site, yet it has done little to make good use of it in recent years.

As part of the hugely ambitious Canterbury's Tales project, the castle is at the forefront of the plans, with it becoming home to an open-air amphitheatre.

Timber seating and a stage are planned to be installed inside the ruins, allowing a range of events such as historical lectures, theatre, cinema, reenactments, concerts and screenings of big sporting events such as Wimbledon.

The castle grounds are also planned to become a lawn for groups to congregate and enjoy picnics, and a new space for major touring exhibitions, such as the Natural History Museum, to set up.

The council also has plans for the neighbouring Castle Street multi-storey - potentially turning the top deck into a visitor attraction, such as a museum or rooftop restaurant/bar with views across to the Cathedral.

The car park is one of the largest in the city, yet is never used to its full capacity and the top deck is usually sparsely occupied.

Guildhall

Currently used as a council chamber - albeit not for the past year due to Covid - the former church next to Westgate Towers is envisaged to play a major role in the city's reboot.

It would become the new welcome centre to the city, acting as the go-to desination for tourists to start their journey learning about Canterbury.

There are hopes to get a copy of the Magna Carta to go on display at the centre - though it is not yet known how that can be fulfilled as the council does not own a copy of the historic document.

As well as renovating the Guildhall, plans also reveal a new building is proposed to be constructed in the existing churchyard. It will become part of "a heritage cluster" linking the Guildhall with the nearby Tower House, Westgate Towers and Westgate Gardens.

"It would be where people start - a visitor experience that sets you up for the Canterbury journey," Cllr Fitter-Harding said.

"The Guildhall is a lovely old building which no one knows anything about and most people are unaware of. It would be great to utilise it."

Westgate Square

Immediately outside the Guildhall is the busy St Peter's Place which bends traffic through Westgate Towers. Under the council's bold plans, that stretch is envisaged to become a pedestrian-friendly 'shared space' zone.

It is to become a new square, where there is a more fluid approach to how vehicles and the public share the road. How that will function exactly is currently unclear, but on particular days the route is proposed to be closed in its entirety to motorists.

This will allow the space to be used solely by pedestrians, meaning events such as the medieval pageant and markets can be hosted against the "spectacular backdrop" of Westgate Towers.

For those in the city in 2012, the proposed square project could bring back memories of the hated year-long traffic trial which banned vehicles from passing through the 14th century towers.

Cllr Fitter-Harding said: "The road could be closed off to traffic for certain events just to make it a far more engaging and active part of Canterbury.

"It can become a real multi-use space, and shared areas are successful in other cities."

Dane John Gardens

The city's biggest park will benefit from significant investment, with the council planning to install staggered seating on the grassy banks which perimeter the gardens.

The terraced seats-cum-steps are envisaged to be used for picnics, shows and events put on in the Dane John.

To help the park host events with more ease, the council also wants to install a power supply on site. It is hoped to lower the logistics and carbon footprint for attractions such as the Christmas ice rink.

The iconic Dane John mound is planned to be relandscaped, and paving would be installed around the bandstand. The Biggleston lampposts in the gardens and those lining the city wall will also be restored.

Other aspirations

St George’s Clocktower, which survived the city's pummelling from German bombers, could showcase the story of the Blitz in Canterbury, while new signs and information boards are to be dotted around the city "to help visitors find their way around and uncover its hidden gems".

Plans are also afoot to create a 'Canterbury Pass' which will make existing and new attractions available on a single ticket that could also include travel and access to attractions in Whitstable and Herne Bay.

To mark the project's start and the fact it would be 1,094 years since the Kingdom of England was founded, the same number of trees will be planted across the district.

Wayfinding routes linking landmarks across the city are also planned, with each walk being given a name - they will be Pilgrims’ Mile, Castle Mile, City Wall & Parks Mile and the Great Stour Mile.

The recently-launched citywide wi-fi is set to be utililised for the redevelopment project, with visitors being able to engage with additional content on their tablets and explore the city via "augmented reality experiences".

A "strong brand identity" is hoped to be created across the district's road network, with new brown welcome signage and signs on roundabouts.

The basis of the Canterbury's Tales project is the brainchild of Stephen Allen, from One Pound Lane. He has been working alongside various partners, including the city's Business Improvement District (BID).

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