The sparkling new St James development in Dover has inspired a clean up of the area around the River Dour.

Now the riverside walk immediately behind Dolphin House and past Flying Horse Lane is gleaming as part of the district council's efforts to spruce up one of the primary pedestrian routes from the Old Town into the £53m attraction.

Overgrown vegetation was removed from the river bank and the riverside railings were replaced. The garage block to the rear of Dolphin House, which is owned by DDC has also been extensively renovated.

The St James development has transformed the area and opened up the walk alongside the River Dour allowing for increased usage. The riverside is also a feature of Block D of the St James development which has planning permission for restaurant/café/bar use.

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Cabinet Member for Corporate Property, said: “One of the key design aims for the St James development was to make a feature of its riverside location.

“We recognise the excellent work of volunteers from the River Dour Partnership and White Cliffs Countryside Partnership who work tirelessly to educate people about the importance of the river, and manage regular volunteer litter picks and other river improvement projects.

“We’re delighted to have delivered this first programme of works to open up the River Dour at St James.”

The River Dour is a rare urban chalk stream which runs through Dover from the Alkham Valley and out into the sea in Dover harbour.