The population of Medway has risen to 279,800, the first results from the 2021 census have revealed. It grew by 15,900 (6%) since the previous census was carried out in 2011, when the population sat at around 263,900. However, this is lower than the population growth seen in surrounding areas such as Maidstone and Swale, which rose by 13.3% and 11.7% respectively. The latest population rise in Medway places the conurbation ahead of other areas in the South East, including Southampton (5.1%) and Canterbury (4.1%). In 2021, Medway was ranked the 22nd most densely populated of the South East's 64 local authority areas, with around 10 people living on each football pitch-sized area of land. Variations in population density between local authority areas is calculated by measuring the land in football pitches and working out how many people there would be on each one. The census data also revealed that most age groups in Medway saw an increase in population, particularly those aged 65 years and over. There has been an increase of 24.3% in people aged 65 years and over, an increase of 1.8% in people aged 15 to 64 years, and an increase of 7.3% in children aged under 15 years. Meanwhile, a notable decrease of 16% in people aged 20 to 24 and a decrease of 15% in young people aged 15 to 19 were seen. The population of people aged 45 to 49 and people aged 40 to 44 also decreased, falling by 10% and 6% respectively. The latest population count for Medway is seen as a significant piece of data as it influences how much funding Medway Council receives. If the figures are markedly below the population projection for the area, it could result in budget cuts. The trend for Medway’s growth rate has remained relatively low since 2017. It has a lower rate of growth than Kent, the South East, and England and Wales, peaking in 2012 after the 2011 census when the population rose by 1.23%. Significant outward migration from Medway - most notably to neighbouring parts of Kent - has reduced the overall level of growth in recent years.
In 2020 alone, 11,666 people moved out of Medway, with the main destinations being Swale, Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling, Canterbury and Gravesham, according to a council report using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS will be publishing data from the 2021 census for England and Wales in stages over the next two years. Future releases will include figures on ethnicity, religion, the labour market, education and housing, while information on UK armed forces veterans, sexual orientation and gender identity will also be available for the first time. A discount shopping centre in Chatham is celebrating a major milestone as it reaches full occupancy with the arrival of a national retailer this month.
Dockside Outlet Centre at Chatham Maritime has enjoyed a series of new lettings over the past year amid growing customer footfall, despite several store closures during the pandemic. Landlord WD Ltd, which bought the shopping centre for £9.1 million in 2015, is pursuing an 'outlet and community' approach to diversify the centre's offering. From a schoolwear shop to a job centre, bosses hope the strategy will both continue to boost footfall and future-proof the centre, by ensuring it remains community-focused. Saltrock Lifestyle clothing chain Saltrock is the latest brand to join Dockside, with its new store set to open in the next two weeks. It is taking over the unit previously occupied by Quirky Gifts, which closed last month. Saltrock sells a range of surf-inspired men's, women's and children's clothing, as well as water sports equipment including surf boards, body boards and paddle boards. An opening date for Saltrock's store is yet to be announced. Plans to turn a historic pub in Chatham into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) have been given the green light - as it was decided the proposal was the only way to save the building's future. The Lord Duncan pub in New Road, which has been vacant for more than 45 years, is set to become a HMO containing 10 bedrooms with shared kitchens, a laundry room and communal space. Medway Council refused planning permission last year after it determined the internal alterations would be "unsympathetic and unnecessarily harmful to the significance of the listed building". However, developers received the go-ahead following a successful appeal to the government's Planning Inspectorate. Inspector Simon Hand said the conversion to residential use was “inevitable” and the “only way to find a viable way forward for the building which requires extensive repairs to ensure its future”. The dilapidated pub is believed to be vacant since 1974, the year in which the building became Grade II-listed. Following a council intervention in 2013, the previous owner began restoration works, although this only included some roof repairs and new weatherboard timbers. The works progressed slowly and eventually stalled in 2019 when the previous owner of the building died. In 2020, it was purchased - supposedly unseen - by a buyer for £115,000 at auction, who later found it had been stripped of all internal finishes. The inspector noted that extensive internal works should only be carried out once external works had made the building watertight. It is believed the building was built in the late 1700s as a town house, before becoming a pub by 1824. The pub was named after Admiral Duncan of the Royal Navy, who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown and Egmont in 1795. In 1872, records showed the pub had a full licence and was owned by Edward Winch of Chatham and of brewery Style and Winch. The building offers extensive accommodation with the ground floor still housing the front bar and servery, separate saloon bar and two rooms at the back.
On the first floor there is a double length room and two smaller rooms, while the top floor has a further five rooms off a landing. The inspector set an 18-month deadline for a listed building enforcement notice (LBEN) to be carried out, which includes wall repairs. Planning permission for the pub's conversion and further restoration works will expire after three years. |
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August 2023
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