More than 200 people have signed a petition calling for a former bear pit to be “unearthed, restored and made accessible” as a developer plans to build hundreds of homes around it.

Northfleet Embankment East is now part of the Ebbsfleet Garden City development but was once the site of Rosherville Gardens, a pleasure park built in 1837 that attracted millions of visitors, many of whom would have enjoyed looking at Rosie the bear in her pit.

Earlier this year, the Messenger revealed developer Keepmoat planned to “commemorate” the site of the bear pit within its housing development but would not uncover it.

The structure was excavated and immediately re-filled in 2012 to protect it.

Residents and heritage enthusiasts have been campaigning for the Grade II listed pit to be restored since Keepmoat submitted its outline planning application last year.

Now community action groups Gravesend Futures and Friends of Rosherville have launched an online petition to save Rosie’s former enclosure.

A message on the change.org page reads: “The bear pit still exists almost intact under a few metres of soil.

“It can be unearthed, restored and be made accessible as a real heritage asset and a living memory to future generations of the Victorian Rosherville Gardens.

“Please sign the petition to raise awareness and tip the balance to restore-and-reveal rather than bury-and-remember.”

The petition will be presented to the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and Gravesham council.

Organisers stressed there would be no real bears kept in the pit, but a statue could be erected.

Members of the two action groups would also like the area to have more of a community feel with more public open space and better use made of the waterfront along the River Thames, which is how Victorian visitors reached Rosherville Gardens.

Neege Allen Navarria of Gravesend Futures said of the response to the petition: “This demonstrates that there is wider community interest in maintaining and celebrating key elements of local history such as the bear pit.”

The bear pit is one of only five in the country with listed status and the only known brick-built one.

In May, Mike Dempsey, regional managing director of Keepmoat Homes, said: “We have worked closely with the relevant authorities and statutory consultees. We are commemorating the location of the bear pit, in line with their advice.”

A spokesman this week said the company did not wish to add anything to this statement.

The application is due to be determined by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation’s planning committee later this month.

You can sign the petition here.