Levelling Up work and timescales

We're creating story gardens that help tell the stories of Canterbury as part of England's history. We'll do this by landscaping existing public spaces to highlight their heritage significance and encourage people to visit.

We're also improving some of the city car parks to make them more welcoming, as well as improving visitor signs and some pedestrian routes through the city.

Westgate Towers one way system with diversion - 22 April 2025 to March 2026 

A one way system will be in place allowing traffic to flow in one direction only through the towers. Pedestrians can access the towers at all times.

Traffic will be diverted up Rheims Way to the London Road roundabout, down London Road and onto St Dunstan's. Traffic coming from the other direction will be allowed to travel through the Westgate Towers and along St Peter's Place to the St Peter's roundabout.

The end of St Peter’s Street where it joins St Peter’s Place in front of the Westgate Towers will need to close when this junction is redesigned from January 2026 to the end of February 2026. 

Road resurfacing will be carried out in St Peter's Place between the existing pedestrian crossing, extending just past the junction of Tower Way. This work will be done in mid-March, at night under a road closure, with local access being maintained.

Castle Row car park closed - 24 March 2025 to April 2026

The car park will be closed to allow Blakedown Landscapes to store materials and equipment, and for the landscaping of the car park.

Access to Age UK will not be affected. There is alternative off-street parking available in Castle Street multi-storey.

You can see all the landscape designs and artists' impressions created so far.

Heritage assets

Works in the Canterbury Castle Keep and grounds will be completed in late summer, and it will be open for the public to access for free.

The improvements include landscaping, raised walkways inside the castle keep, and lots of information; including augmented reality binoculars to bring the castle to life.

Story gardens

Final landscaping works will be completed in Dane John Gardens in late spring.

Improvements including resurfacing, lighting and planting will be carried out along the city wall.

The following story garden sites will be completed in the spring, and will include new information panels:

• Tower of St Mary Magdalene
• Solly's Orchard
• Greyfriars Garden
• Dane John Gardens
• St Mary Bredman Square - the courtyard in front of the former Nason's department store
• St George's Square
• St Radigund's Garden
• Three Cities Garden
• the castle grounds

Highways and city route improvements

The creation of Westgate Square will be completed including bike storage, feature lighting and power points, soft landscaping and welcome information to book end the high street with St George's Square.

Old signage and street furniture will be removed, and new wayfinding totems and finger posts will start to be installed in the city centre.

Docked cycle hire infrastructure will be put in place in various locations across the city.

Improvements to the foot way along St Radigund's Street will be completed by the end of February.

Improvements to six cycle routes in Canterbury will be completed, including improved lighting, surfaces, kerb lines and signage.

Castle Row car park will be the last of the projects to be completed. The new green walkway will link Dane John Gardens with the castle.

Heritage assets

Work to repair the Poor Priests' Hospital (Marlowe Kit) roof and external features (chimney, window and stonework repairs) was completed in June.

The stabilisation of the stonework at Canterbury Castle Keep was completed in December ready for the landscaping of the grounds to take place.

Story garden

Work continued in the story garden sites. Some were delayed because of archaeology found and the number of consents needed from different agencies to complete the work. We also minimised work during the Christmas period between mid-November and January to avoid disruption to visitors and residents.

New cast iron Biggleston columns were ordered and will be installed in 2026.

The statue to commemorate Aphra Behn was unveiled in February (2025) outside of the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in the high street.

Highways and city route improvements

The work to improve accessibility and lighting to Church Lane, Stour Street, St Peter's Lane and St Radigund's Street started in early 2025 and was completed at the end of 2025, with the exception of St Radigund's Street which will carry on into 2026.

Pedestrian access was improved on St George's Lane and at the bus station, making it safer and easier to walk to Whitefriars - completed in September 2025.

Bike maintenance and storage facilities were installed in various locations across the city.

New wayfinding totems and finger posts were installed in the city centre. These will be finished in 2026.

Longport car park was made more welcoming with new soft landscaping, welcome information points and bike storage.

Heritage assets

Work to repair the Poor Priests' Hospital (Marlowe Kit) roof and external features started in June (2024). A specialist contractor took over the Canterbury Castle Keep site to start the repair and stabilisation of its stonework, and to make it safe.

Story gardens

Electrical power outlets were installed in the Dane John Gardens to allow events to take place with less reliance on generators.

Consultations were carried out on the story garden designs, and the 'stories' for each garden.

Archaeological test pits were dug and investigated to allow the necessary consents to be applied for. The statutory consents and permissions from Historic England and Kent County Council Highways were submitted ready for the tendered work to start in early 2025.

In December (2024) the works tender for Dane John Gardens, the city wall and Castle Row car park went live. Early designs for the new cafe in the gardens were produced ahead of stakeholder engagement. These works will form part of a separate tender.

Concept designs for a walkway and raised platform that will take visitors inside the Castle Keep were agreed. The walkway will provide platforms on the first floor level as well as at the top of the castle; reviewing views across to the Cathedral and Dane John Gardens.

Highway and city route improvements

Contracts were awarded for the works taking place in the new Westgate Square, as well as for the accessibility and lighting improvements to the city heritage routes.

The design of the new wayfinding was agreed, and detailed placement plans for the totems and finger posts were shared with stakeholders and landowners in the city. The tender for manufacturing and installation went out to tender in December (2024).

The foundation was laid outside of the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in preparation for the installation in 2025 of the statue commemorating Aphra Behn.

A condition survey of street lighting columns was completed to inform the future works programme. 

 St George’s Street improvements

We've replaced the old paving slabs, added new planters and benches, and upgraded the street lighting. 

One area has been finished with temporary paving, which will be replaced later.

Riverside area improvements 

We've upgraded the existing cycle way. 

Installing electric vehicle chargers

We installed 12 chargers across the city to support greener transport.

Canterbury Castle preparation

We put up scaffolding so that we could start a survey on the stonework.

Poor Priests’ Hospital (Marlowe Kit) preparation

We applied for listed building consent for the roof repairs.

Poor Priests' Hospital

Story gardens

We held a public consultation on which gardens should be chosen and published the results.

Highways

Kent County Council held a public consultation on the proposed changes to Westgate Square.