A community group in Deal is proposing to take over the overgrown and unsightly grass area in Freemens Way for the benefit of families living there.

Your Deal, which has 5,500 members on its Facebook page, is hoping to clear the area of all rubbish including the shell of a car and harmful objects, cut the grass, plant flowers and eventually allow residents to use it as a common area.

Founder George Franklin has put the idea to Dover District Council and is awaiting a reply.

He said: “It will be of no cost to the community or Deal Town Council or Dover District Council.

“Your Deal will take it over, get a tractor in to cut the grass and then cut it regularly.

“We’ll then start a residents’ committee who will keep an eye on it. They can then turn it into a community green and hold events on it in the summer.”

The unkept central piece of land in the road has been a talking point among residents for years.

Despite it being private land, MP Charlie Elphicke and volunteers took the decision to cut it back in 2014 because it is not regularly maintained by its owner.

It has since become out of control again.

“It will be of no cost to the community or Deal Town Council or Dover District Council.

“Your Deal will take it over, get a tractor in to cut the grass and then cut it regularly."- George Franklin - founder of Your Deal

Mr Franklin said: “We fully understand that a person, or business, may come forward to claim ownership of the land. If this is the case it would be handed straight over to them with no appeals or arguments. The land would actually be handed over in a much better condition.

“Should the land not be claimed, as it has not for at least the past three years, then we would continue to tend to it and the Freemens Way community, plus other local community groups, will be able to enjoy it in the future.”

“We would not now, or in the future, be wanting to build permanent, or semi-permanent buildings on the site.

“We would be looking at getting help from volunteers and local sponsors to carry out the cleaning up and initial cutting of the grass. From then on it would be Your Deal volunteers looking after it with the help of Freemens Way tenants.”

Your Deal started on Facebook but now has a drop-in desk at the Carol Peter’s Coach Travel shop in London Road, Deal. Its desk is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 1pm and Tuesdays 6pm to 8pm for those with daytime commitments.

They offer advice, information, help and community trips. They pride themselves on being 100% self-funded and offering anything they can to the people of the community free of charge.

To offer your help or join Your Deal on Facebook.