The Chatham Historic Dockyard has allocated a sum of £4.8 million funding from the National Lottery towards the redevelopment of the Fitted Rigged House. Dating back from 1793, the Fitted Rigging House covers 9,000 square metres and is a Grade I listed building. Currently under-used, proposals will enable it to be put back into active use through the conversion of the facility into a new rental space and volunteer centre. Picture Credit: Kent History Forum The funding was announced by Chatham MP and Sport, Tourism and Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch, as well as Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst at the former naval base on January 19. Speaking to Heritage Lottery Fund, Tracey Crouch said: “This funding will not only help preserve our wonderful maritime heritage at Chatham, but allow the Dockyard to be fit for purpose and serve the community in the future.” The redevelopment of the building will have a strong focus on volunteering and skill training, improving existing facilities and training for volunteers on-site. It will also embrace the Library and Archive with better visitor access to the 'nationally important collection'. Picture Credit: UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East, commented: "The Fitted Rigging House is a key part of Chatham’s heritage - not flashy but solid and reliable. It has played a vital role at the site for over 200 years but currently its potential is not being fully capitalised on due to its sheer size and complexity. We particularly like their ideas for creating a volunteers’ centre and providing opportunities for people to learn key heritage building skills.”
Medway Council launched a public consultation for the new Local Plan today, which will replace the existing 2003 Medway Local Plan. The document outlines the vision for the future of Medway, an urban conurbation made up of five towns, providing a detailed overview of the needs and challenges that will need to be addressed for the largest dynamic urban area in the South East. It mainly highlights the needs for employment opportunities, housing, economic growth and environmental impacts, as well as supporting infrastructure including transport links and education & health services, which will all be required for the rapid population growth up to the year 2035. It is envisioned that Medway will be transformed into a 'leading waterfront university city', with its population set to rise from 276,000 to 330,000 people. With this in mind, 29,463 new homes will have to be constructed to meet the growing demand for housing. Picture Credit: Alan Denney The Local Plan also describes the 'negative perceptions' associated with Medway that local residents have, stating that these should be challenged by adding economic value that Medway, as a city, should be providing. Medway Council will continue to pursue the ambition to establish Chatham as the 'city centre' for wider Medway. Urban regeneration of the town will provide new retail and leisue facilities, transforming it into an attractive destination and a vibrant hub for the community. The key proposals for Chatham are featured below: The public consultation is open from January 16 2017 to March 6 2017. Residents are urged to share their views and provide feedback to construct a suitable approach to the growth of Medway for future generations.
What are your thoughts? Find out further information and view the Local Plan documents by visiting www.medway.gov.uk/futuremedway. |
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August 2023
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