Policy S15: Town Centres Strategy

As the towns improve we need to increase tourism and encourage visitors to our historic area. Develop a genuine night time economy with clubs and a top class theatre, like The Marlowe, to attract big touring shows. Improve our town centres by encouraging unique individual businesses to make shopping a must, Whitstable springs to mind. Use empty retail units for pop up new ventures, art exhibitions, etc. all would increase employment opportunities. More technology firms and creative industry we have Intra and some businesses already in the Dockyard. Make Medway a proper university city with all that comes with

Town centres need to be more attractive and a pleasant place to be. We need pretty and attractive buildings, green spaces, trees, places to sit (not full of druggies, beggars and smelling or urine and cigarettes). Rochester is quite nice, but Chatham and Gillingham are places you go to because you have to, not because you want to. Some nice tea rooms and quaint individual shops would be nice, not full of pound shops etc.

It goes without saying that we need sustainable growth where hopefully all sections of the community will benefit. This will improve health and outcomes. We need to ensure our green spaces are protected.
In relation to retail outlets the Council needs to stop the incursion of multiple fast food outlets and encourage local shopping with greengrocers, butchers, bakers and grocery stores for people who don’t want to go into our towns which will encourage people to not use cars. Do not allow waterfront developments and deprive the community of access to the riverfront.

The very poor quality of the road network linking the centres needs to be addressed here. If we were to utilise the water ways much more effectively, the distinct and complementary nature of each of the centres would be far more impactful.

Additionally to far better utilisation of the river medway for transport, adding back a tram network would make public transport much more acceptable to environmentally conscious current and future citizens of Medway.

First it was disturbing to see the amount of paper forms and booklets at the exhibition. Paper is a toxic commodity, even recycled and vegetable inks.

Second, car travel is not a choice but a necessity for shift workers, personal carers, volunteers who deliver supplies and many others.

Third, whilst buses are plentiful in the town centres, they are infrequent and unreliable at the edges. This won't entice people on to them.

Finally the idea of reinvigorating high streets for shopping is nonsense. Empty shops should be turned back into houses as they were originally.

The old town centres Chatham, Strood, Gillingham, Rochester require an uplift in quality, so that the downward trend in the economy can be revered. Coffee shops, barber shops and less friendly shoppers is not good.

Southern Water supports all policy requirements which seek to ensure that surface water is appropriately managed, as close to source as possible. As acknowledged in the plan, community resilience to the impacts of climate change is essential. We therefore request wording is added to strengthen the effectiveness of this policy S15, as explained further below:

Requested changes:
• Enhancements and provision of multi-functional green infrastructure, public realm incorporating sustainable urban drainage features and improved access to blue infrastructure where possible.
Further explanation and justification:
Southern Water supports all policy requirements which seek to ensure that surface water is appropriately managed, as close to source as possible. We need planning policy to consider carefully the measures called for in response to the climate crisis, and ensure sustainable development is central to the local planning framework for planning applications coming forward. This is also in line with the requirements of paragraph 167(c) of the NPPF (2023) that requires:
using opportunities provided by new development and improvements in green and other infrastructure to reduce the causes and impacts of flooding, (making as much use as possible of natural flood management techniques as part of an integrated approach to flood risk management)
Measures should support the attenuation of flows of surface water run-off from rainfall, as well as surface water infiltration into the ground wherever possible in the local environment.
Southern Water is working across our region to remove surface water from our networks in key areas. Even as we deliver this work, development continues to increase surface water run-off. To be resilient to the evolving impacts of climate change we must plan to ensure that rainwater is separated from wastewater in the design and construction of our communities. For more information on our work, and the root causes of releases from storm overflows, please see –
https://www.southernwater.co.uk/our-region/clean-rivers-and-seas-task-force/pathfinders/
https://www.southernwater.co.uk/our-performance/storm-overflows/storm-overflow-task-force
During heavy rain, local sewer networks’ drainage capability can be exceeded by the amount of rainwater entering pipes and storage tanks connected via roads, roofs and paved areas. When these fill up, storm overflows release excess water through outfalls into rivers and the sea to prevent flooding of homes and businesses. Storm overflows are part of the network’s original design and are regulated by the Environment Agency. Over time, the expansion of urban settlements as well as ‘urban creep’ (home extensions, conservatories and paving over front gardens for parking) have incrementally added to the amount of rainwater entering sewers, resulting in increased releases from storm overflows. As stated in Water UK’s 21st Century Drainage Programme;
“The country’s built environment is constantly changing and “urban creep” – home extensions, conservatories and paving over front gardens for parking – can all add to the amount of water going into our sewers and drains. Green spaces that would absorb rainwater are covered over by concrete and tarmac that will not. In fact, studies show that “urban creep” results in a larger increase in predicted flooding than new housing, because it adds more rainwater to these systems’.
Stronger integration of sustainable drainage solutions within policy should ensure SuDS are incorporated into new development and public places, whilst also securing truly sustainable development. Please see our policy statement on Sustainable Development here:
https://www.southernwater.co.uk/media/ny0nb3qu/our-policy-statement-on-sustainable-development-a4.pdf

Students at Medway welcome development in town centres as key areas for social cohesion. Students seek to enjoy their local community and business. Transport is a barrier to students and need assurances of affordable activity to engage in.
Students can support with economic growth of areas so we would encourage policymakers to appeal to this group with student-friendly activities.
Increasingly, our student population is alcohol free and interested in sport and sustainability so it is important to not rely on pubs.
Many students are international and seek to enjoy local culture and heritage

Efforts need to be focussed on completing the redevelopment of Chatham, Rochester and Strood town centres where work has already started. In particular the redevelopment of Strood has stalled and this situation has blighted Strood as a vibrant community. However better retail provision is required on the Hoo peninsular to reduce the need for residents to travel long distances by car into Strood. The roads in Strood are at capacity leading to long delays at peak travel times.

Gillingham Town Centre is now definitely included in the upcoming Local Plan, and the recent" Big Day Out" event showed just what Gillingham has to offer. However in the past it has been largely left behind in the development stakes. Wilko store is a large empty store, situated on a prime site open to vandalism. Banks closing do not help. For a high st including residents, there must be retail that attracts people to live and want to shop there. In another document in this I pIanI note that E Scooters are recommended as Transport. Not for the High st.

Agree

Well improve them then, more shops, restaurants and pubs to make them thrive but no blocks of flats

Places to park when using your car should be considered as well not blocked

all very good but you don't mention parking facilities

Could Medway concentrate on turning the floors above the Chatham High Street shops into suitable housing as a priority? Perhaps using innovative ideas for access so that we can showcase a new modern shopping/living model for many High Streets that are struggling across the country .

I agree with the regeneration of our town centres but we must not forget about smaller centres
Such as Strood and Hoo and Rainham must have a Good provision for regeneration in these smaller town centres

Work hard at making better use of river frontage

A good policy. Our high streets have changed and we must therefore adapt our policies to reflect that. More residential development in our town centres will create sustainable developments. Having places for people to meet and also healthcare facilities that people can easily access.

Before considering the construction of additional houses, infrastructure improvements must be prioritised. Investing in town centres, enhancing local shops, and supporting businesses is crucial. The current infrastructure is inadequate and struggles to support existing demands. Focusing on these areas will ensure a solid foundation for any new developments, improving the quality of life for current residents and creating a more sustainable environment for future growth. Proper investment in infrastructure will also foster economic vitality and provide essential services, making any new housing developments more viable and beneficial to the community.

The town centres are dead at the moment. They do not encourage tourism, local shopping or business. They should be redeveloped with a mix of residential and business; this would encourage a vibrancy in the centres. People should be able to live, work and play locally which is not happening. Make the centres more tourist friendly, have quality nightlife with theatres and bars and make them safe. Few people feel safe in the Town centres at night.

Agree