There is so much more to Tovil than the tip.

In fact it is a “diverse and beautiful place to live”.

Those are some of the findings of the Tovil Community Plan, a blueprint for the community’s future which has been forged by a small group of enthusiasts after consultations with residents, businesses and interest groups.

The result - a 32-page illustrated document with maps, charting both Tovil’s history and its hopes for the future - was launched aboard the Allington Belle paddle-cruiser during an hour-long trip for 39 guests up the River Medway.

On board were Maidstone council leader Cllr Chris Garland (Con); Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Denise Joy; council cabinet members; South Ward borough councillor John Wilson (Lib Dem); Tovil parish councillors and the working group and representatives from the neighbouring Fant, East Farleigh and Loose parishes.

Cllr Wilson praised the plan, saying: “Tovil has been tarnished by its association with the tip. There is so much more to Tovil and this plan shows it in a much better light.”

Cllr Wilson said he was particularly pleased to see one of the ideas floated was the reopening of Tovil railway station.

He said: “Re-establishing the station that closed in 1943 could be just the solution to get the expanding Tovil population into town in a sustainable way.”

Tovil Parish Council chairman Glyn Charlton said: “The plan highlights what a diverse and beautiful place Tovil is to live - so near the amenities of the town, yet it stretches out into the countryside, encompassing a huge variation of lifestyles.

“Tovil has changed over the past few years from a huge industrial area to a residential area and these changes will continue. The plan highlights the need for improved infrastructure like doctors, dentists and chemists, and the need to ease traffic speeds and volumes. It also questions whether it is the right position to have a refuse tip.

“Tovil is a high-profile and much under-valued place to live.”

The plan will be distributed to all 2,000 homes in Tovil.

For more information, call the parish clerk, Alison Chew, on 01622 675628.