A car park at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre could soon make way for a new drive-thru Burger King restaurant.

A planning application recently submitted to Medway Council seeks permission to build a drive-thru restaurant next to Hempstead Valley Drive, replacing an existing 36-space car park and an access ramp from the M&S multi-storey car park.

If the plans are approved, the single-storey American fast food restaurant will include an internal seating area and a drive-thru facility. A total of 16 parking spaces is also proposed, which includes two short-stay waiting spaces and two disabled bays, in addition to 4 cycle spaces.

DLG Architects, who prepared the design of the new drive-thru, said: "The design and siting of this new restaurant has been carefully considered and will add an additional facility to Hempstead Valley District Centre.

"It is hoped that this application will be supported and will add a positive benefit to Hempstead Valley and the neighbouring areas."

To share your feedback on the plans, you can search MC/20/0028 on the Medway Planning Portal or visit this page.

Game is expected to close 40 stores in the UK this year, prompting uncertainty over the future of the Chatham branch.
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The video games retailer, which was taken over by Sports Direct for £52 million back in June 2019, has revealed its plans for a major store "rationalisation programme" amid the challenging retail environment.

Although it is not yet clear whether the Chatham store in the Pentagon Shopping Centre will be affected, Game has already served notices to 13 sites, including Canterbury and Lakeside, with a further 14 notices imposed earlier this week.

Asked whether the Chatham store may be affected, a spokesperson for Game said: "We do not have the confirmed list yet unfortunately."

Game has, however, said that it expects to serve notice on the remaining 13 stores in the near future.

Residents, businesses and organisations are invited to attend a free public event to have their say on a new Cultural Strategy for Medway.

The emerging Cultural Strategy will set out Medway's vision to develop and improve its cultural offer for a period between 2020 and 2030. Anyone who has an interest in shaping the future of arts and culture in Medway is invited to attend the Open Space event at the Corn Exchange in Rochester on Saturday, 18 January from 10am until 1:30pm.

Using Open Space Technology (OST), attendees will be able to set their own agenda for the day to give them an opportunity to think, talk and take action together in response to the issues that really matter to the people in the room.

Medway's new Cultural Strategy is being co-developed by GJG Consultancy, Ruth Melville Research (RMR) and The Audience Agency (TAA) in partnership with Medway Cultural Partnership and Medway Council.

If you are interested in further developing Medway as a great place to live, work, learn and visit, then please register your free ticket to the event.

Medway Council has confirmed that it does not currently have any plans to develop the soon-to-be vacant Debenhams department store in Chatham High Street themselves.

With just under two weeks before the Debenhams store shuts its doors for the final time, Future Chatham has understood through a Freedom of Information request that neither Medway Council or its own housing provider Medway Development Company are planning to develop the site in the near future.

​A Medway Council spokesperson said: "Medway Council and Medway Development Company are not currently planning to directly develop the site.

"The closure of Debenhams in January 2020 is clearly disappointing news for Chatham and we are liaising with the landlord of the building to understand their future plans."

When asked about the Council's position on the existing rough sleeping issue outside the department store, especially once it closes, it was made clear that Medway Council will "discuss how best to mitigate rough sleeping in the covered front entrance in the meantime" with the landlord of the building.

No plans have been revealed by the landlord yet, although local residents are already sharing their suggestions for what the department store could be used for in the future, with ideas ranging from a discount supermarket to co-working office spaces.

Medway Council's current disinterest in developing the department store comes just months after it decided to purchase the empty Mountbatten House office block to potentially deliver up to 112 flats.

Debenhams has held a presence in Chatham High Street since April 2005 when it acquired the former Allders department store, later refurbishing the building in July of that year. The store's closure was first revealed back in April 2019, when it was understood that Chatham's branch will be one of 21 other locations across the country to be axed as part of cost-cutting measures to make the business "fit for the future".