Plans have been revealed for a new, purpose-built Cycle Hub at Chatham Railway Station as part of efforts to improve sustainable movement to and from the station. The Department for Transport (DfT) has set aside a £800,000 grant to fund the new £1.1 million Cycle Hub, which is expected to provide 280 cycle spaces and electric charging points for hybrid bikes. It will also feature 2 tool stands and 2 pumps for cyclists to use. The new 600-space Cycle Hub at Reading Station - © Reading Council The new Cycle Hub is part of the government's wider Cycle Rail Programme across the country - backed by £36 million with a further £1.6 million announced in January - allowing commuters to make their daily journeys to work as connected and sustainable as possible.
The programme has already improved access to UK's railway stations for cyclists through a number of initiatives, including cycle hire schemes, extended footpaths and safer cycle parking facilities - tripling the number of cycle parking spaces at over 500 stations, bringing the total to at least 80,000. Speaking to Intelligent Transport, Cycling and Walking Minister, Jesse Norman, said: “Improving cycling access to railway stations is good for cyclists and good for rail users, whether they’re commuters or tourists – and it has terrific knock-on benefits, improving air quality, reducing obesity and increasing economic productivity." The announcement of the new £1.1 million Cycle Hub planned for Chatham Railway Station comes just weeks before the completion of the station's £1.4 million upgrade, which includes resurfaced pavements and a remodelled station forecourt to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and a better first impression for commuters visiting Chatham. Chatham Railway Station is also set to benefit from further accessibility improvements as part of the Department for Transport's 'Access for All' programme. Although currently in the design stage, it is expected that lifts will be installed to improve access for disabled and less mobile users of the station. These works are expected to be completed by March 2024. A public consultation has launched to appoint Medway's very first urban Neighbourhood Planning Area, which is hoped will bring about positive long-term change across one of Medway's most deprived areas. The proposed Neighbourhood Planning Area has been submitted by community group Arches Local, who are working towards establishing an accompanying Neighbourhood Planning Forum led by at least 21 members including local residents, business owners and Councillors from the Luton Road area. The Arches (Chatham) Neighbourhood Planning Forum (ACNF), if approved, will begin preparing a draft of the Neighbourhood Plan covering an area stretching from The Brook Theatre through to Luton Road and beyond, with the iconic Luton Arches standing at the heart of community-led regeneration.
Introduced as part of the Localism Act in 2011, a neighbourhood plan is a framework put together by members of a local community for guiding future development, regeneration and conservation of a particular area. 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. It is hoped that the plan will empower the local community to promote and improve the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the area surrounding Luton Road. Hoo St Werburgh, High Halstow and Cliffe Woods have already gained approval for the establishment of neighbourhood plans in their local areas. You may read the full application for the neighbourhood planning area by clicking here. To find out more about how you can make comments on the application, please visit the dedicated section on the Medway Council website. Three universities in Medway have contributed nearly £144m to the South East economy in 2015/16, with their students spending another £158m with local businesses and services, new research has found. Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent support almost 1,600 local jobs through their economic activity and welcome more than 1,200 students a year from the Medway area to their shared campus based at Chatham Maritime. Aerial shot of the shared 'Universities at Medway' campus - © University of Kent A new report published by higher education consultancy Viewforth and an analysis of wider impact data has revealed how the three universities bring jobs and investment to the region while forming a key part of Medway's growing local community. Local universities, regional impact Highlights of the Universities' wide-ranging impact include:
The 'Universities at Medway' is a partnership between Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent. Established in 2004, it has grown to welcome more than 10,000 students to its campus each year, with a focus on health and social care, engineering and science, business, journalism and the creative industries. Twelve per cent of all students at the campus are said to be from the Medway area, while more than 22,000 local young people with no family experience of university take part in outreach activities within the local community each year. The universities have also successfully retained more than 1,200 students who might otherwise have left Medway to study elsewhere. Drill Hall Library at University of Kent - © University of Kent The universities also work in partnership with Medway Council and the local business community to promote the area and support the wider ambition to transform Medway into a vibrant waterfront university 'city' by 2035. To support this, the University of Kent has recently received £4.3m in Government funding to boost creative industries in the area by supporting 'creative clusters'. Canterbury Christ Church University leads the development of local skills in Health and Social Care through its partnership with Medway Maritime Hospital, while the University of Greenwich supports the growth of start-up companies and tech entrepreneurs through co-running the Innovation Centre Medway on Maidstone Road. "We are determined to support plans to make Medway a core destination for the creative industries, bringing investment, innovation and long-term job prospects to the area..." Professor David Maguire, Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, said: "It's very positive to see in such clear terms the economic benefits of the Universities at Medway.
"Our work in partnership enables us to ensure that we provide an excellent teaching and learning experience for our students while they are at university and that we give them the best possible start in their chosen careers." Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, Vice Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University, said: "We are proud to be part of the Universities at Medway. Together our universities, and our students, contribute millions of pounds to the economic prosperity of the region and help to support over 1,500 jobs. "Our courses help local people to start their careers and develop skills to support the health, wellbeing and education of our communities, and produce highly skilled, work-ready graduates to strengthen our local industries to make a lasting difference in society." Professor Karen Cox, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent said: "I'm delighted to see the combined impact our joint work in Medway, demonstrating the vital contribution the Universities make to the region. "As the Universities at Medway, we play a key role in equipping students with the skills and experience they need to meet the area's needs – from degrees in innovative, creative and business-oriented programmes, to higher-degree apprenticeships and work-based learning. In particular, we are determined to support plans to make Medway a leading waterfront city and a core destination for the creative industries, bringing investment, innovation and long-term job prospects to the area." The new Kent and Medway Medical School, a collaboration between Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Kent, is also set to welcome students for the first time from September 2020. More than 100 aspiring medical professionals in Medway each year will benefit from work placements as trainee doctors at primary healthcare settings and hospitals to assist their studies, further adding to the range of higher education opportunities available in the area. You may read the full report by clicking here to explore the impact of the Universities at Medway collaboration to the wider area. Described as the 'white elephant' of Chatham's redevelopment during the 1970s, an office block that has stood empty for most of its history may be bought up by Medway Council. Plans are moving forward for a potential compulsory purchase of Mountbatten House, a 12-storey office block which sits above the Pentagon Shopping Centre, by Medway Council in order to redevelop it as a "residential scheme". The empty Mountbatten House office block - © Google Maps 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 since 2000, until they moved out. Black Horse Financial, which was part of the former Lloyds TSB group, had also occupied the building since 1986. Recently published documents reveal Council officers have already 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. "It is proposed to add Mountbatten House to the list of development schemes for the Medway Development Company...to convert the building into apartments." A potential Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of the building is yet to be given the green light at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday next week, but Medway Council has already suggested adding the empty Mountbatten House to the "list of development schemes for Medway Development Company", the Council's own housing company which is behind recently approved projects for new apartments at Whiffens Avenue and Chatham Waterfront. The facade of Mountbatten House - © Roger Marks 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.
An application submitted by Mapeley Gamma and FI seeking consent to convert the empty offices into 112 apartments was approved only last year - however, this did not include any changes to the bland exterior of the building, often described as an "eyesore". |
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