Back to the future vision at park

The 100-year-old Central Park was doubled in size in 2005

A town park could be returned to its Edwardian splendour with a bandstand, tea rooms and pleasure boats.

The scheme for Dartford's Central Park in Kent includes restoration of the River Darent with new bridges, river walks and places for paddling.

It marks a U-turn for the council which was refused planning permission last year to build a road through the park.

"We were wrong about that and I accept it - we think this is the way forward," said council leader Jeremy Kite.

Modern stresses

He said the park would be a counterpoint to stresses of modern living.

"I am not at all embarrassed about calling it old fashioned," he said.

"I think the kind of park we knew as kids is what people are looking for."

The council's purchase of 23 acres of former GlaxoSmithKline land in 2005 nearly doubled the size of the park.

Mr Kite said the cost of the regeneration could be anything from £1m to £30m, depending on the kind of facilities people wanted, but grants were available from the National Lottery and the South East England Development Agency.

An exhibition of the proposals is on display at The Orchards shopping centre until 3 March.