by Angela Cole

acole@thekmgroup.co.uk

It was once home to a royal nursery, tended by specialists who worked for Kew and Windsor.

Today, hidden behind the brambles which shelter it from the traffic flowing past on the London Road, are what experts estimate to be more than 20,000 protected species.

A haven for dog walkers and countryside lovers among the built-up suburb of Allington, the nursery may seem like a forgotten patch of land, but its well-trodden paths show how much it is used daily.

The area is considered by ward councillor Dan Daley (Lib Dem) to be among the last remaining green fields of Allington.

He and some of his fellow borough and county councillors have started a petition to save the land and have gathered about 600 signatures so far. They hope to have it designated as a local nature reserve.

Cllr Daley said: "We are determined to get this land preserved in its natural state for future generations to enjoy."

Cllr Rob Bird added: "This fragment of surviving countryside with its precious flora and fauna in an otherwise totally built-up area is just too precious to be surrendered to urban sprawl."

The Allington ward is earmarked for development, with the 17-acre Bridge Nursery site due for 165 houses under Maidstone council’s local plan, and could be included in the interim core strategy when it is produced next month.

Untouched for more than 40 years, the site has returned to its wild state.

It was once home to George Bunyard’s Royal Nursery, which provided apple trees for Kew Gardens, but in 1960, it was sold to Akzo-Nobel Limited, which has owned the land ever since but never built on it.

To view and sign the petition, visit www.savebridgenursery.wordpress.com

For full story see this week's Kent Messenger, out now.