Herne Bay seafront could look like this with palm trees

by Joe Walker

Herne Bay could be given a tropical makeover within months after plans emerged this week to put palm trees along the seafront.

The proposal would see as many as 50 trees – standing 14ft high – dotted along the promenade from Lane End to the clocktower.

It is hoped they will give the seafront a unique, Mediterranean feel and boost tourism throughout the summer.

The £10,000 scheme – which will be funded by sponsorship and grants – has led to some people dubbing the town Hernebados.

It was the brainwave of dad-of-three Gerald McCarthy, who formed the Bay Promo Team to help market the town.

Mr McCarthy (pictured left) said: “I’ve wanted to have palm trees in Herne Bay for years.

“I came back from holiday recently and did some research and realised there were species of palm tree that can survive the seafront climate.

“I also stumbled across a place in Wales called Barmouth and they’d done the same and it looked great. They’d managed to get 60 businesses to sponsor the trees as well.

“Of course we’re going to get some criticism and not everybody’s going to like the idea, but that’s to be expected.

“One person said we should have native trees, but three minutes away you’ve got the Memorial Park which is full of them.

“I think it will be great for the town and bring with it lots of benefits. Hopefully people will hear Herne Bay has palm trees and decide to pay us a visit.”

The trees – which are imported from Italy – would be covered or placed in storage during the winter to protect them from the harsh winds.

They have won approval from Herne Bay in Bloom, who met with Gerald to discuss progressing the idea.

Secretary Colleen Ashwin-Keen said: “I think it would really enhance the seafront and make it look really nice. We’ll certainly be supporting it.

“I’ve been speaking with somebody today and they are going to send me pictures and prices for us to look at.

“The main issue will be what to do with the trees during the winter.

“They can certainly survive the cold but the harsh, salty wind in the winter could shred them. There are two options really – to put them in storage or cover them.

“Storing them would probably be quite expensive so covering them may be the best option.”

It is hoped the trees could be on the seafront before the summer.

Town boss Chris West said: “If the funding can be found, this could be another great attraction for Herne Bay to make us a little bit different to everywhere else.

“I think it will create a really good ambience along the seafront and complement what we already have.”