Growing the Kent economy 2016/17

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Growing the Kent Economy 2016/17
The Borough Council remains committed
to both working with its housing
association partners and delivering its
own programme of new build local
authority homes to provide modern,
well designed and affordable housing.
Town and Country’s development at
WatercressWay and Moat’s refurbishment
of the former council offices at Cygnet
House are now both complete, providing
an additional 116 affordable homes.
Sanctuary Housing is also nearing
completion of Wimborne House,
an extra care facility accessed from
Taunton Vale, which will provide a mix
of one and two bed apartments to
enable residents to live independently
whilst accessing care and support.
The Council has three new build
developments underway which
will deliver a total of 19 new homes.
The sites at St Gregory’s, Greenhill
and Alanbrooke will provide a mix of
apartments for over 55s, bungalows
and general needs houses.
For further information on Gravesham’s
business locational advantages contact:
Medway
Exciting developments in Medway
continue at a rapid pace, with a range of
schemes progressing well.
Watermill Wharf in Strood will see 15
workspace units for innovative micro
enterprises created in response to
Ebbsfleet Development
Corporation
Further impetus to delivery will be
provided by the Ebbsfleet Develop-
ment Corporation (EDC). This was
established by Government in April and
has been tasked with delivering a new
21st Century Garden City providing up
to 15,000 new homes predominantly on
brownfield land together with jobs
and community facilities set in a green
environment. The EDC received its
planning functions on the 1st July 2015
and covers an area that encapsulates
the major development sites of Eastern
Quarry, Northfleet West Sub-Station
(Ebbsfleet Green), Ebbsfleet, Swanscombe
Peninsula and sites along Northfleet
Embankment. The principal task of the
EDC is to deliver development at pace
whilst ensuring high quality and
maintaining sustainability. The EDC
has commissioned work that will
lead to the development of a
Framework Master Plan that will
set out the vision for the Garden City
and key principles for development.
This work is expected to be completed
in 2016.
Gravesham
Investors and developers are capitalising
on opportunities that High Speed One
services to London present. At just 22
minutes to central London and 17
minutes to Stratford, this equates to
Underground Zones 3 and 4, giving
Gravesend the fastest journey time of
any Kent town to London.
The £19m upgrade to Gravesend
railway station with extra platforms,
lifts, footbridge and step free access
to platforms has enabled 12-car High
Speed One trains to stop in future.
Planning permission has been granted
for the Gravesend Heritage Quarter
proposal by Edinburgh House – a
£120m mixed-use redevelopment of
the town centre with hotel, apartments,
retail, leisure and office units. The
developer expects to start on site in
2016/17. Outline permission has
been granted for 650 residential units,
new light industrial and leisure space as
part of the regeneration of the town’s
Canal Basin.
The Homes and Communities Agency
(HCA) continues with its disposal
strategy at Northfleet Embankment
East, finalising development platforms
and recently undertaking a soft
market test seeking a private
sector partner.
HCA will also liaise with London
Resort Company Holdings regarding
the London Paramount proposals
at Swanscombe and consider
synergies with that development
before finalising the Northfleet
Approach. With Lafarge’s site, the
wider Northfleet Embankment could
provide 87ha (215 acres) of prime
riverside development, deep water
wharfage and direct links to North
Kent and High Speed One trains.
CGI of London Paramount Entrygate