A multi-storey car park in Chatham town centre remains closed for the foreseeable future. Medway Council has temporarily shut Market Hall car park in Cross Street due to a plummeting number of users. The occupancy of the car park drastically declined since the closure of the adjoining Go Outdoors superstore in 2020, leading to antisocial behaviour and vandalism, according to a response to a Freedom of Information request by Future Chatham. In the response, the council says the car park will remain closed until the future of the disused superstore - which is now up for sale - is determined. Data obtained by Future Chatham shows that the council received £553,305.07 in income from the car park between 2010 and September 2021. Within the same period of time, the highest level of income was received in 2010, which came to £97,475. Last year, up until September, the council gained only £1,042.50 in income - its lowest figure since 2010. The income for the car park is calculated as the money generated by penalty charge notices plus pay and display. Meanwhile, the council's expenditure for the car park totalled £212,551.13 between April 2019 and September 2021. Medway Council owns both the freehold and sublease of the car park, which opened in March 1982.
The number of users and income sharply declined following the closure of the Tesco superstore in 2015. Although Go Outdoors took on the large retail unit a year later, it was unable to turn the fortunes around for the car park. The car park - which was primarily used for short-term parking - had capacity for 360 spaces, however only 206 spaces remained open in recent years after the upper floors were fenced off. A family-run school uniform supplier has opened the doors to its new shop in Chatham. Simmonds welcomed customers at the opening of its branch in Dockside Outlet Centre on Saturday, 11 June. The store, which created four new jobs, will be offering a 10% discount on all in-store stock until 10 July. Parents and carers can find schoolwear essentials at the shop, such as coats, bags, school shoes, trainers and stationary.
The shop stocks uniform for the following schools in Medway:
A one-to-one measuring and fitting service for students is also available at the branch. Simon Smith, managing director at Simmonds, said the shop is already proving to be popular with families thanks to its convenient location. Simmonds is the latest tenant to join Dockside Outlet Centre, following the opening of Lazy Jacks last month. New businesses have also opened opposite the outlet shopping centre, including Costa Coffee and KFC, while Kaspa's Desserts is launching within weeks. Dozens of jobs are up for grabs at Hempstead Valley's new Burger King drive-thru. Work is progressing on the fast food chain's newest branch, which will open beside the Marks & Spencer car park at the shopping centre in Gillingham. A total of 36 jobs are set to be created and applications are now being accepted, including managerial roles. Burger King is also recruiting 30 restaurant crew members, such as front of house and kitchen staff, offering both part-time and full-time positions. Successful candidates will enjoy a variety of exclusive staff perks, including flexible hours, free meals at work, and 50% off food and drink for friends and family.
Jeremy Wright, People Director at Burger King UK, said: “During what has been a very challenging few years for many businesses, we are delighted to be creating new job and career opportunities in the area, and look forward to welcoming 36 new starters into the Burger King family, at our Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre restaurant. “We continue to be bold and ambitious in our growth plans across both locations and job opportunities.” An opening date for the new drive-thru has not been revealed yet. Once completed, the drive-thru will also include a seating area inside, as well as 16 car parking spaces and four cycle parking spaces for customers. You can apply for the job vacancies by clicking here. New specialised toilets for disabled people are set to be installed in Medway. Medway Council has secured £90,000 for two new toilets as part of the government's Changing Places programme. The specialised facilities will be installed at Riverside Country Park in Rainham and inside the Pembroke building at the Universities of Medway campus at Chatham Maritime. Equipment including hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers will be fitted in the new loos. Medway Council says the new toilet in the Pembroke building will be accessible to around 10,000 students and university visitors. It also hopes facilities will support its aspiration for Medway to become a Child-Friendly City. The council is currently finalising plans to install the toilets with work expected to begin in the coming months. "The new toilets will strengthen our commitment to promoting accessibility and to enable residents and visitors, of all abilities, to enjoy what Medway has to offer..." Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said: “We are delighted to receive government funding to install two new Changing Places toilets in Medway.
"The new toilets will strengthen our commitment to promoting accessibility and to enable residents and visitors, of all abilities, to enjoy what Medway has to offer with dignity and freedom." Helen Pierce, head of estates and facilities at the University of Greenwich, commented: “We are happy and excited to be working with Medway Council on the new changing spaces area, which will be open for use for students, staff, and members of the public. "With partnerships and raising awareness, we can ensure that this undignified, unhygienic and dangerous practice becomes a thing of the past," she added. Medway Council, the University of Greenwich and Medway Norse are also providing match funding for the new facilities. There are currently seven Changing Places toilets in Medway including at Rochester Community Hub, the Pentagon Shopping Centre in Chatham and at the Historic Dockyard Chatham. Find out more about Changing Places toilets by clicking here. |
Archive
August 2023
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