SEEDA's involvement

Twenty years ago the Royal Navy left Chatham, North Kent, ending over 400 years of Naval history and plunging the Medway Towns into an economic decline from which many feared the area would never recover.

But two decades after the closure of Chatham Dockyard, a 140 hectare area of the site has been transformed into a thriving business and residential community, combining high-quality urban planning and design with the most stringent environmental and sustainability standards. Since 1999 The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has succeeded in turning this site into a true mixed-use flagship development in the heart of the Thames Gateway, combining investment in business, leisure and residential facilities to deliver the local community a sustainable lifestyle and to date in excess of £400 million of public and private funds have been invested in Chatham Maritime.

At the site SEEDA has created one of the premier business locations in Kent with 100,000m2 of office space providing 3,500 new jobs. Another 20,000 sq m are under construction. Companies that have already moved into Chatham Maritime, include Micro Medical, Natwest Bank Plc, Halifax Plc and Medway Council. Many other projects are under way with the aim of bringing jobs and world-class companies to the area.

One of the key stages of the regeneration of Chatham Maritime is the restoration of a number of historic buildings, bringing them back in to economic use and creating a sense of place. The first such building to be restored was the redundant Ship and Trades Building, dating from 1875, and restored in 1999. This building has Grade II listed status, and was formerly the Joinery Office on site where woodwork was undertaken in the shipbuilding process. It now accommodates a public house, restaurant, small hotel and Co-Op store, providing facilities to the local business community and residents on St Mary’s Island.

Another example of this work is the Dockside Outlet Centre, which opened in May 2003 and has created 300 jobs. The former Boiler Shop, a Grade II listed building, has been converted and extended to house over 80 shops selling speciality clothing, luggage and home furnishings from High Street names. It still retains many of its original features, including its clock tower.

Meanwhile near the 300-berth marina, which has been designed in the former Basin One, SEEDA has overseen the painstaking renovation of Pumphouse No 5, originally built to pump out thousands of gallons of water from the dry docks, allowing work to take place underneath the ships on their hulls. Work undertaken includes the replacement of approximately 27,000 bricks, mending structural cracks, replacing rotten timber and decking and missing windows and doors. Discussions are now underway to decide the future use of the building, with suggestions including converting it into luxury apartments, a restaurant, public house or marina clubhouse.

SEEDA has also completed the external restoration of The Canteen and the Drill Hall, both Grade II listed buildings which were originally built in the early 1900s and have cost around £5 million to restore. They form part of an impressive complex of Edwardian buildings known as HMS Pembroke, the former Naval barracks. The Drill Hall has been turned into a Learning Resource Centre which is now being used by the three universities established at Chatham Maritime, the University of Greenwich, the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, which a year ago moved to a new building in Pembroke Court, opposite the existing university campus.

The canteen building is being converted into a student union, teaching facilities, lecture threatre and will have retail outlets. A café is also being added inside the building, which until now has been vacant since the Navy left in 1984. Both the Canteen and the Drill Hall have been completely refurbished on the outside by SEEDA, with new slate roofs, replaced and cleaned masonry, repaired gutters, windows and doors.

The renovation of these historic buildings, along with new construction, led to Canterbury Christ Church University’s first intake of students starting in September 2004. Mid Kent College joined the campus in September 2005 and the overall expansion of these higher education institutions will see student numbers at Chatham Maritime rise from 2,000 to 6,000 by the year 2007. SEEDA and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) are supporting the Universities at Medway project with over £23m of funding.

The retention and restoration of all the listed and scheduled buildings has been a key objective in “place making” at Chatham Maritime and has created a unique setting for the regeneration work which has been completed.

A new residential quarter has also been created at the site on a 100-acre part of Chatham Maritime known as St Mary’s Island. So far nearly 1000 homes have been built here and another 2000 are planned at St Mary’s Island and other parts of Chatham Maritime. The site will eventually be home to around 7000 residents. The building programme on St Mary’s Island has being brought forward by Countryside Maritime Limited, a joint venture between SEEDA and developers Countryside Properties Plc.

Work on another residential development of two towers of luxury apartments, plus bars and restaurants around the marina, is due to start soon. Construction has also started on Dickens World, a visitor/entertainment complex dedicated to the life and times of Charles Dickens. A multi-screen cinema is also being built next to Dickens World.

SEEDA’s objective is to demonstrate good quality design and sustainable construction while providing attractive and peaceful living space. As well as housing, SEEDA has provided all necessary infrastructure including a school for up to 400 children, a day nursery, three GP doctors’ surgery, parkland, community centre and employment opportunities, either on the island or within walking distance.

A number of other features and amenities are being developed on the island and in the surrounding area to nurture the community. As well as the primary school, notable additions include a three-kilometre riverside walk and cycleway designed alongside the river. This gives pedestrians and cyclists an attractive route between St Mary’s Island and the Historic Dockyard with views of the opposite riverbank and sites such as the Elizabethan Upnor Castle.

There are three recreational areas on the island, designed to provide safe, well-lit places for children to play football and other sports, and an all-weather sports pitch has been added to the infrastructure on the island. Residents are also encouraged to make use of the gymnasium facilities at the university campus.

Planning permission has just been granted for the next phase of homes to be built on St Mary’s Island. The new development, called Axis, will feature 51 houses and 11 apartments and will be built next-door to the new community centre and doctors’ surgery. Construction is due to start in summer 2006.