Work has begun to build a new public park on Medway’s riverside.

The open space at Chatham Waters will include natural play areas, landscaped lawns, a community kitchen garden and a fruit orchard, with a network of new accessible paths providing attractive and convenient routes across the growing neighbourhood.

Waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters marked the milestone by officially breaking ground with shovels. Work is expected to be completed by January 2025.

The new park will see landscaped lawns and social spaces created through the centre of Chatham Waters stretching down to the waterfront.

More than £125 million has already been invested into the development by Peel to create more than 600 homes, the Waterfront UTC, improved infrastructure, a large ASDA superstore and a Marston’s pub and restaurant.

The park, which will be at the centre of Chatham Waters, will add to existing green spaces, the dock gardens and the waterfront promenade which have also been delivered as part of the regeneration of the former industrial site.

More than 80 new trees will be planted, with species chosen to provide habitats and pollinators for bees; an area of almost 1,000m² will be planted with 15 different varieties of shrubs, providing further habitats for wildlife; and there will be plenty of open space for people to enjoy with more than 1,000m² of lawn laid with benches and picnic areas added, providing an area to relax in and space to play games.

Two circular feature benches wrapping around semi-mature trees and shrub planting will form the focal point.

Families will be able to enjoy new areas for active play, with a timber rope bridge, stepping stumps, climbing net, play boulders, balance beam and see-saw.

A community garden will include a fruit orchard and raised planters for residents to grow herbs and vegetables. That area will be named Andrew’s Allotment after Andrew Dickson who was part of the Peel Waters team and project managed several of the developments at Chatham Waters for many years.

Andrew passed away unexpectedly last year and the new space will be a tribute to the lasting legacy he helped create.

Local contractor O’Halloran & O’Brien Group, which has already delivered more than 400 of the homes at Chatham Waters on behalf of Peel Waters for Legal and General Affordable Homes and X1 Developments, is the firm responsible for transforming the former industrial brownfield land into leisure space.

Peel Waters managing director James Whittaker said: “Creating high-quality public realm, parks and outdoor space for our community to enjoy is so important to our vision for Chatham Waters.

“It is a neighbourhood which is growing at pace and for us it’s not just about delivering fantastic buildings, we want to build a community. We want neighbours to have opportunities to mix and make friends, we want different ages to socialise with each other and we want children to have safe spaces to explore and play in.

“The park will be a fantastic addition to the existing green spaces, dock gardens and the waterfront promenade we have delivered so far. The scale of the park and the amount of space the community will have will be pretty special.”

Earlier this year, Londis officially opened its first store on the development, and more recently 237 new homes were completed for Legal and General Affordable Homes.

Chatham Waters is part of Peel Waters, a UK-wide portfolio of waterfront developments, delivering large-scale, sustainable regeneration projects, creating jobs, economic growth, new homes and new public realm across the country.