THE PAY & Display parking spaces on the south side of the River Medway near the castle are to disappear as part of a £500,000 renovation of River Walk.
Work is set to begin next week and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and Kent County Council are aiming to make the walkway more attractive.
According to council documents the work will see the existing worn out asphalt surface replaced with block paving, alongside upgrades to the street furniture.
Pop-up stalls will be permitted to trade along the path during town events.
The work is expected to last from Monday, November 14, until March next year. Throughout the four and a half months, the walkway will be closed until the point it meets New Wharf Road, but access will be allowed to the Beyond the Grounds café and the rear of the shops and flat on the High Street.
Owner of the Beyond the Grounds café, Jennie Kenny, said she was ‘very excited’ by the announcement, adding: “We started discussions with the council back in 2014 when we secured Gilbert House to remove the parking outside. We felt that making space for a cafe seating area would improve the aesthetics and draw more people to this part of Tonbridge.
“The plans look fantastic and we’re grateful to and wholeheartedly share the council’s vision to see Tonbridge grow and thrive.”
