With the use of a small grants fund from the Association of Rail Partnerships and with help from residents, Dovercourt Train Station garden will soon have a new lease of life which will benefit the local community and commuters alike.

The Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, a group led by Essex County Council, train operator Greater Anglia and 6 further partner Borough and District Councils, has been awarded a £1,000 grant to transform Dovercourt Station garden into an attractive community space to be used by all.

Community involvement is core to the project so the call went out to find a local gardener that had the expertise, enthusiasm and the passion to lead the work. Cheryl, a Dovercourt resident, came forward as the ‘station adopter’ and got stuck-in by designing the ‘community garden’. Quirky features of the design include the use of railway sleepers as bench seating to tie-in with the overall railway theme and location.  

Cheryl enlisted the help of community volunteers, soldiers from the Armed Forces and a local Dovercourt store, which provided refreshments, to spend two weeks clearing years’ worth of rubbish and overgrown vegetation.

With the community working together, the garden is now ready for the real transformation to begin, with an attractive pathway, flowers, plants and additional seating to be installed turning this space into an attractive community focal point which will aid the regeneration of the wider area. 

Councillor Derrick Louis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “I am delighted that The Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership have been awarded this funding. This project is a great example of ‘Big Society’ in action with local residents leading projects in their communities, to benefit their communities. I look forward to hearing about the development of the garden in the coming months.”

Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia’s Customer Service Director, said: “We are delighted the partnership has been successful in securing this funding to improve Dovercourt station garden and we look forward to seeing the garden come to fruition.”

For more information about the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership please visit the website: www.esscrp.org.uk