DEMOLITION has started on the former Buckland Paper Mill site at Crabble Hill, Dover, to make way for new homes and businesses. The development will bring new job opportunities and promises to improve the appearance of the area.

The site has been bought from paper manufacturers Arjo Wiggins by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) the government agency responsible for the £18 million investment into Betteshanger country park on the site of the former colliery. Since June 2000, when the paper mill production moved to Scotland, the 3.9 hectares at Crabble Hill have been vacant.

Amelia Koutsavakis, SEEDA regeneration manager, said: "This site is so important to the Dover area. Using land that has already been home to industry - brownfield land - instead of green fields is a key objective for SEEDA as it helps to minimise our impact on the environment and transform areas scarred by dereliction.”

SEEDA's building for nature project officer Martin Bolton said: "The river Dour, hidden under the paper mill for years will be restored to its former glory, providing a green corridor through the site. The river and its banks will make ideal habitats for wildflowers, plants and birds, which will markedly improve the quality of the environment in which residents live and work."