Three flowering cherry trees and five planters will feature in the redesign of Deal’s South Street.

Deal deputy mayor and town councillor, Wayne Elliott, who has been working with Kent County Council’s Ben Hilden to make sure the new layout is as practical and attractive as possible, revealed this after work officially began on Monday.

He said: “I kept thinking there was something missing and that it was going to be bland.

“I told Ben I wanted three flowering cherry trees and he agreed. It’s going to look lovely.”

Five black cast-iron planters with the Deal town crest will also feature.

The first set of plants will be paid for by resident Andy Maple who has donated £50 to Deal Town Council.

Cllr Elliott consulted the residents and shopkeepers in South Street who decided where to position the trees and planters and have agreed to help maintain them, alongside Dover District Council.

Changes to the street were first proposed last summer when Deal Town Council, residents, business owners and taxi drivers opposed them.

Plans included changing the flow of traffic, adding in bus shelters and moving the taxi rank.

Mr Hilden, who is looking after the project, attended a public meeting to listen the views of the people of Deal, before creating a revised plan which was passed by the Joint Transport Board.

The new plans includes replacing the surface with slabs, widening the pavement on the right side to improve pedestrian accessibility, creating a designated taxi rank with a pavement divide, realigning the kerb at the junction with Sondes Road and Victoria Road and inserting an island outside King’s Coffee Shop with new benches to improve the street scene.

Work is expected to take three months, weather permitting.

Richard Smyth publicly thanked Deal Town Council at a planning meeting on Wednesday for their work and dedication towards the project.

For more information, visit: www.kent.gov.uk/highways