Local residents and business owners are urged to share their thoughts on how the future of Luton and central Chatham should look like. The Arches ‘Chatham’ Neighbourhood Forum (ACNF) has launched a short survey to consult the local community on a number of issues affecting the Luton and central Chatham area, including housing, transport, the environment and the economy. Being Medway's first and only urban neighbourhood planning forum, the group is made up of residents, businesses and organisations who have joined forces to create a Neighbourhood Plan to positively shape future development of its designated area spanning across Luton and central Chatham. It is hoped that the plan will empower the local community to promote and improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of the area surrounding Luton Road and beyond. In very simple terms, a neighbourhood plan is a document that sets out planning policies for the neighbourhood area, which are used to decide whether to approve planning applications for new buildings and facilities. The neighbourhood plan is written by the local community rather than Medway Council, so it is a very powerful tool to make sure the community gets the right types of development, in the right place. The final plan would form part of statutory development plans for the area which must be followed alongside Medway Council's own planning policy documents. "This is an exciting opportunity for the 8,000+ people living and working within our boundary to shape the future of our area..." A spokesperson for Arches 'Chatham' Neighbourhood Forum said: "This is an exciting opportunity for the 8,000+ people living and working within our boundary to shape the future of our area into a more human-centric place.
"Neighbourhood planning is a process that gives us direct power to develop a shared vision for our local area. We are able to choose where we want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have our say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided, and grant planning permission for the new buildings we want to see go ahead. "The results of this survey will directly feed into our policy objectives and the wider vision of the Arches 'Chatham' Neighbourhood Forum." You can share your views on the future of the Luton area by completing the short survey online - it shouldn't take longer than 4 minutes! To keep up-to-date or to get involved with the neighbourhood planning journey, please visit the Arches 'Chatham' Neighbourhood Forum's website or take a look at their Twitter and Facebook profiles. Plans to transform an eyesore office block that has stood empty for most of its history could be unveiled this autumn, according to Medway Council. Although still in the very early stages of the project, it is expected that 'ambitious' plans for Mountbatten House, the old bus station and the existing taxi rank at the Pentagon Shopping Centre in Chatham will be revealed for public consultation by the end of 2020. A design competition was held in December last year for architects to set out what they would do with the 12-storey office block and the surrounding land, which saw London-based Lyall Bills and Young selected as the winning design company. The regeneration project will encompass the refurbishment of the empty office block and a 'significant' new-build element beside it. A spokesperson for Medway Council said: "They [Lyall Bills and Young] are now finalising their design and getting it ready to be submitted for a planning application. "We are looking forward to sharing these plans and vision with the people of Medway when the details are a little more finalised. "The public will be consulted on the finalised design and have the opportunity to formally share their views as part of the planning process and we anticipate this will be in the autumn." "We believe the mixed use, residential led scheme will further transform the centre of Chatham." Commenting on the radical redevelopment in the pipeline for Chatham, Cllr Howard Doe, Chair of Medway Development Company, said: “This is a very exciting project and we are grateful to all the companies who created a design for the development of Mountbatten House. "We believe the mixed use, residential led scheme will further transform the centre of Chatham. Medway Development Company will be working with the winning architect to bring forward their design and progress a planning application for the scheme. "We are looking forward to sharing the exciting plans for the flagship regeneration project later in the year as part of a public consultation process.” Often dubbed as an 'eyesore' by local residents, the latest plans for the office block comes nearly a year after Medway Council first shared its plan to purchase the building in order to redevelop it as a 'residential scheme'.
Documents published in July 2019 indicate Council officers entered discussions with Mapeley Gamma, the current owner of the office block's separate sublease, and their agent First Industrial (FI) to express Medway Council's interest in acquiring the property. However, FI stated that Mapeley Gamma "does not wish to sell the building" and may consider a joint venture development with the Council instead. Although Medway Council is yet to complete a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of the office block, it has already suggested adding Mountbatten House to the "list of development schemes for Medway Development Company", the Council's own housing company which is behind the new flats at Whiffens Avenue and Chatham Waterfront. It is expected that the cost of obtaining a CPO may amount to at least £250,000, which could be supported by a further £6 million that remains from the initial £45 million sum dedicated towards the purchase of the Pentagon Shopping Centre in April 2019. The Council bought the shopping centre for £34.875 million. Built in 1975 as part of the construction of the Pentagon Shopping Centre below it, the infamous orange-red brick and concrete office block - now vacant - was home to Scottish Widows and its 450 employees in 2000, until they moved out. Black Horse Financial, which was part of the former Lloyds TSB group, had also occupied the building in 1986 for a number of years. An application submitted by Mapeley Gamma and FI seeking consent to convert the empty offices into 112 apartments was approved in 2018 - however, this did not include any changes to the bland exterior of the building. With its eyes set on taking up the higher leagues, Chatham Town Football Club has put forward plans for a new raised standing terrace at its stadium.
The proposal seeks permission to build a raised terrace area within the existing main stand behind the goal and under the roof 'to allow for a better supporter experience'. If approved by Medway Council, the new terrace would take supporters 1200mm above the pitch line accessed by side steps, but it would not be in front of the existing bar area. A new corridor would also be created under the raised terrace to provide access to the existing changing rooms and facilities with access directly to the pitch. The proposals for the new raised standing terrace complements a series of recent improvements to Chatham Town Football Club's stadium in Maidstone Road. This has included the installation of a new 3G all-purpose weather pitch in 2019, as well as upgrades to the car park, pitch barriers and protection, and changing facilities, while controlled hours of use has already been introduced. It is hoped that the transformation of Chatham Town Football Club's stadium will enable the club 'to be promoted through the higher leagues in the future'. What do you think of the plans? You can submit a comment on Medway Council's Planning Portal online. Photo: Google Street View Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, plans have been revealed for a new 'socially-distanced' leisure venue and rooftop terrace at Chatham Dockside Outlet Centre.
If approved by Medway Council, an empty retail unit previously occupied by Sports Direct would be transformed into a leisure venue providing food, drink and café facilities. An underused flat roof above the Choice clothing store may also become a 'very desirable' outdoor seating area, completed with sun-shading umbrellas at tables for small groups of people. Believed to be the first intentional 'socially-distanced' leisure venue of its kind in Medway, social distancing protocols will be respected through the provision of separate entrance and exits, seating to be set out 2m apart from each other, and 'generous' waiting areas in front of the bar serving areas. It is proposed that the new unit should be allowed to operate between 10am and 11pm Monday to Sunday, with the roof terrace hours restricted so that it can be occupied until no later than 10pm in order to protect the amenity of local residents. No loud or live music will be permitted within the venue or rooftop terrace other than background music. In a document submitted to Medway Council, Covell Matthews Architects claims the plans will create a 'very desirable leisure use' that '[meets] the public health social distancing requirements of the current Covid-19 crisis'. The news of the socially-distanced leisure venue proposed for the Dockside Outlet Centre comes just weeks after Medway Council also approved plans for a new children's soft play facility above the first floor. You can have your say on the plans for the leisure venue by submitting a comment on Medway Council's Planning Portal online. |
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August 2023
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