Earl Street Public Realm Improvements

We're reimagining Earl Street as a greener, more welcoming space where businesses can thrive.

Tell us what you want Earl Street to look like by completing the survey by 19 July 2026.

Once home to Maidstone's beer, paper and thread-making industries, Earl Street is now a key dining and entertainment quarter, with a range of businesses including restaurants and cafes and the Hazlitt Theatre.

To increase footfall and strengthen Earl Street’s identity as a vibrant destination, we’re looking to further reduce vehicle traffic in the area.

Currently, vehicles are restricted between Week Street and Rose Yard. We're proposing to expand this, freeing up more of the street for people to enjoy.

If there’s less traffic on Earl Street, we can allocate more space for outdoor dining, new planting to support local biodiversity, and create a better experience for everyone who visits, works or trades here.

We are engaging with businesses and key stakeholders to make sure we continue to provide access to loading and delivery facilities, drop-off space and disabled parking.

We want to work with the community to shape a space that's functional, welcoming and somewhere everyone can be proud of.

How to get involved

To begin the design process, we want to hear how you use Earl Street and what you want it to look like. We have been working with key stakeholders and businesses to understand their needs, and we now want to hear the priorities of the wider community.

Survey - Click here to start the survey

Survey closes: 19 July 2026.

What happens next?

Following this engagement, we will review all responses and use your feedback to create designs for Earl Street. We will share these designs and ask for further feedback on them in autumn 2026.