Plans have been put forward to remodel the East Mall at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, including the creation of new stores and a gym. The units currently occupied by Argos, Santander, Hempstead Therapy and The Works will be re-purposed to create space for 'a range of retail, leisure and community uses', which could include new cafes and restaurants. Although no specific gym operator has been named yet, an empty part of the existing Sainsbury's store could become a gym that is likely to be 'attractive to operators such as PureGym, The Gym Group or JD Gym'. If given the go-ahead by Medway Council, the plans could also see the 'tired' entrance to the East Mall undergo a major facelift. The existing entrance would be demolished and a new steel-frame, glazed 'glass box' entrance with new doors built to improve the visibility and appearance of the East Mall. The public space in front of the East Mall entrance has been earmarked for substantial refurbishment, including high-quality paving, planting and seating, to create a 'positively, actively-used' public realm and to accommodate a 'spill-out space' for the future cafe and restaurants. It is expected that 15 parking spaces will be lost, however, it is believed that this would not have a significant impact on the shopping centre's overall parking provision. 10 new cycle spaces are to be introduced. In a document submitted to Medway Council, DLG Architects said: "These proposals intend to significantly improve the appearance, access to and appeal of Hempstead Valley, meeting the needs of the local community and attracting quality retailers and tenants."
Commenting on the impact these plans may have on the existing Santander and The Works branches, a spokesperson for Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre said: "We are in contact with both of these tenants, and indeed those others potentially affected by the proposals and our aspiration is to retail both Santander and The Works within the centre." The latest plans for Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre surfaced just months after anchor retailer Sainsbury's commenced a major refurbishment of its Savacentre-style store, leaving around 13,000 sq ft empty for re-use. The former Argos store has also been left empty after it was relocated within the footprint of the existing Sainsbury's store as part of the ongoing refurbishment. You can have your say on the plans by submitting a comment on Medway Council's Planning Portal online. A former housing shelter for elderly people will be refurbished and extended to become a foyer for vulnerable young people after plans were recently approved by Medway Council. MHS Homes put forward a planning application seeking permission to build two additional one-bed living units and to remodel the frontage of the empty Russell House to include a covered walkway and glazed communal rooms for the young residents. The refurbishment work will also see new fencing installed along the perimeter of the site, soft landscaping features and a gated stairwell leading up to Magpie Hall Road. MHS Homes has already been granted permission to demolish the row of garages at Russell Court off Henry Street and replace these with 12 parking bays for staff and visitors. However, the plans were met with criticism from local residents and Kent Fire & Rescue Service during the consultation period. Seven letters of objection from three neighbours raised their concerns to the impact on local parking after the lock-up garages are demolished, lack of public access between Henry Street and Newnham Street and the potential for the foyer to contribute to crime in the local area. Kent Fire & Rescue Service also voiced their concerns about the gating of the MHS Homes-owned site and the impact this may have on emergency access through to nearby properties in Newnham Street. A solution was agreed that the gates will include a 'suitable lock' that can be accessed by the fire service. One letter of support was received, although concerns were raised about the 'fortress-style' place created by the extensive use of boundary fencing and the suggestion for up to three trees to be planted. The new foyer is expected to provide accommodation for vulnerable young people aged 16 to 25, who for 'a variety of reasons are unable to live in their family home but are not ready to live alone'. A statement in the planning application clarifies that the future occupants of the units are 'not young offenders', but are 'merely young people who have to live on their own for the first time (parent dies or is sick, etc)'. The young residents will be living independently although 'minor assistance' and a 24-hour warden will be available. The closure of the former housing shelter for elderly people was announced back in February 2019, after MHS Homes said that Russell House failed to 'provide the standards required of modern sheltered accommodation' in line with central government guidance.
Russell House first opened in 1972 and consisted of 29 flats for people aged 55 or over - 24 of which were 'difficult to let' studio flats, according to MHS Homes. Fierce concerns were raised by residents living in the surrounding area of Henry Street and Newnham Street after the announcement of the shelter's closure came to light by mistake. Speaking about the closure in June 2019 to Future Chatham, Cllr Jo Howcroft-Scott for Luton & Wayfield explained: "A foyer in Russell House may change the character or identity of the place that already has many challenges both social and economic. "Many local residents feel MHS do not do enough for the existing community without adding more trouble to the mix. "MHS Homes are now putting together an application and a presentation to planning. We will look closely at this and work hard to achieve the best results for the local community." It is not yet known when work will begin on the refurbishment and extension of Russell House. Photo: Frankham Projects Nine trees have been planted in Military Road, Chatham after the previous trees were deemed a 'health and safety hazard' by Medway Council. A Freedom of Information request put forward by Future Chatham revealed that six Gleditsia triacanthos, one Red Oak, one Turkish Hazel and one Sweet Chestnut were cut down as part of the £4m public realm improvements along Military Road between St. John's Church and the Pentagon Shopping Centre. Routine tree inspections discovered the stems and buttress roots of the Gleditsia tricanthos had been 'significantly damaged by the cages and grills placed around them' since the pedestrianised areas of Chatham town centre were re-paved in the 1990s. This damage rendered them 'unsafe to retain' after a mature Gleditsia tricanthos failed in March 2016 in nearby Church Street - which had suffered with decay below the tree grill. Over the years, it is understood the stems had rubbed against the cages placed around them at the time of planting, resulting in 'large wounds'. The base of stems and buttress roots had been severely restricted by the grills and more particularly the framework used to support the grills. Routine inspections would have picked up damage caused by the cages, and in places by the grills, but the more significant damage caused by the frames supporting the grills only became evident 'during the course of the wider refurbishment work' in Military Road last year. Three trees next to the Red Menswear clothing store were inspected at the same time, which found the Sweet Chestnut and Red Oak were 'in decline' and the Turkish Hazel had 'significant impact wounds on the stem'. A decision was taken to remove and replace these trees in part due to their poor condition, but also because it allowed the opportunity to significantly increase the size of the tree planting pits which will assist the establishment of the newly-planted trees. Five trees were cut by Medway Norse in the week beginning 22 July, 2019, while the remaining four were cut by T Loughman & Co’s tree cutting specialist sub-contractors in the week beginning 17 February, 2020.
A replacement for each tree removed was planted by T Loughman & Co in the week beginning 9 March, 2020, with all the new trees being Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair). The tree planting was overseen by sub-contractors responsible for tree maintenance, Baylis Landscape Contractors Ltd. The works were funded through the Chatham Placemaking and Public Realm Package, which was awarded £4.2m Local Growth Fund from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, at no additional cost to Medway Council. Countryside has secured a contract to potentially create 274 homes across two disused parcels of land next to the Historic Dockyard in Chatham. The London-based housing developer has been selected as the preferred partner to deliver the project with government housing agency Homes England, which owns the two sites referred to as 'Interface Land' off Dock Road and Western Avenue. Spanning 2.7 hectares, the proposed mixed-use development will have the potential to deliver 274 new homes of which 25% will be affordable housing and with over 11,000 sq ft of commercial space. Work is expected to start on the first parcel of land in late 2022, while work on the second site is earmarked for the end of 2023. The overall completion for the entire development is expected to be 'during 2026'. Stephen Kinsella, Chief Land and Development Officer at Homes England, said: "The development of the Chatham sites will conclude the 30-year Chatham Maritime regeneration and it is fitting that Countryside, a long-term partner at Chatham, completes the final homes." The two sites that make up the Interface Land have remained empty for several decades, both being located within the original dockyard before it closed in 1984 after 400 years in operation. Bold aspirations for the Interface Land surfaced in October 2010 when a development framework document outlining the potential of the sites was adopted by Medway Council. However, this document was later replaced by a new development brief in June 2018, which was more in-line with the 'changing economic and planning circumstances to bring forward the development'. The updated development brief earmarked the site's potential for a 'residential-led development with opportunities for supporting mixed uses including commercial uses such as offices, cafés and restaurants.' Furthermore, the brief states that the two sites' contrasting riverside and historic settings could accommodate a mixture between a 'contemporary' and 'traditional' style of development.
It is understood that BPTW Architects will be designing and masterplanning the development on behalf of Countryside and Homes England. Countryside and Homes England have not yet submitted a planning application for their proposals to Medway Council. Photos: Countryside, Medway Council, BPTW |
Archive
August 2023
|