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Kent County Council, Medway Council & Kent’s District Council Commentary

North Kent

DartfordSituated at the heart of the Thames Gateway regeneration area in north-west Kent, the Borough of Dartford stands at a pivotal point between Greater London, Kent and Essex. It has excellent connections to central London, the south-east and UK channel ports and the continent via the strategic road and rail network. The intersection of the A2 and M25 and the Dartford Crossing provide a unique locational advantage helping attract investment interest and drive strong growth locally. A positive investment climate is further assisted by an up-to-date Local Plan guiding development, strong housing delivery, a five year supply of housing land and a well-developed Infrastructure Plan. Funding mechanisms, including a Community Infrastructure Levy, S106 commitments and central government funding for transport improvements and new schools are all in place to bring forward the infrastructure required to support new development.

Dartford has experienced its fourth year of housing completions significantly in excess of local housing need. There were 1,010 completions in 2018/19, approximately double the long running average for Dartford and well in excess of the housing need figure of 797p.a, as calculated using the government’s standard methodology. The high levels of demand and confidence in the area are evidenced by the rapid sale of new homes once on the market.

Crossrail 1 (Elizabeth Line) tube services are due to be provided to Abbey Wood Station, just 12 minutes train travel from Dartford Railway Station. Working in partnership with Transport for London, Bexley Council and Kent authorities, Dartford Council is lobbying to build on this connectivity with the proposed ‘C2E’ rail project. The government has

Infrastructure and Regeneration

recently committed £4.85M to develop a business case in support of the scheme. If implemented, this would extend Elizabeth Line services from Canary Wharf, the West End and Heathrow beyond Abbey Wood, through Dartford to connect with Ebbsfleet International’s High Speed One services to London St Pancras and continental Europe.

The Borough will also benefit from the prospective Lower Thames Crossing. This will cross the river east of Tilbury and Gravesend, linking the M25 near North Ockenden, Essex, with the A2 near Shorne. It is programmed to be complete by 2027 and will relieve the Dartford Crossing and increase the resilience of the surrounding road network.

Designs are being finalised for the A2 Bean and Ebbsfleet junction improvements, with a Public Inquiry due in autumn 2019 and a proposed start on site in 2020. The improvements will help support planned development, supporting jobs and housing growth in North Kent.

Progress has been made in taking forward private and public investment in Dartford town centre. The Dartford Town Centre Framework was adopted in July 2018. It sets an expectation for a high standard of development in the town centre, identifies improvement projects and provides design guidelines for key development sites. The opportunity for around 5,000 new homes in and around the town centre will significantly increase demand for retail and leisure provision locally. Private investment on key sites providing

new leisure and retail facilities is being complemented by £12m of public funding for transport and public realm improvements, providing a much enhanced and pedestrian friendly area for shopping and leisure activities in the town. Work commenced on the first phase of the scheme in May 2019 and is to be complete by March 2020. This will create an attractive landscaped area linking the High Street with Central Park. Revamping of the High Street will follow along with further phases of the improvement works.

Dartford has been successful in its initial bid for Future High Streets Funding. It is one of 50 local authorities which will have the opportunity to share in the £675m pot. The bid is focused on re-purposing surplus retail space to other town centre uses. The council is working closely with its town centre partners to develop the bid through to the next stage.

Residential development immediately to the north of the town centre at Langley Square and Phoenix Quarter, proved very popular with new home buyers, with approximately 900 homes already occupied and around 400 under construction. There is strong developer interest in this area and further sites are expected to be brought forward. On the southern edge of the town centre, at Lowfield St, construction has begun on the first two phases of a mixed use development comprising 1,500m² (16,146ft²) of retail and community floorspace, offices and 550 homes overlooking Central Park with a micro-brewery and café facing on to a public square.

A planning application is anticipated at the end of 2019 for the site on Hythe St/Westgate St in the heart of the town centre. The HCA/Council owned site, being brought forward with development partner Muse, will significantly enhance the town centre’s leisure and retail offer with proposals including a six screen cinema, 3,500m² (37,674ft²) of bars, restaurants and shops and a new public square. The development also proposes 140 new homes and a 109 bedroom hotel. Provision of a health hub is also being progressed.

Early phases of the 30,000m² (322,917ft²) expansion of Bluewater Regional Shopping Centre have been implemented providing larger retail units within the centre. Extension of the existing cinema complex was completed in 2018 providing restaurant facilities (Class A3) and cinema/

Kent Property Market Report 2019

Proposal for public realm improvements Market Street, Dartford.

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family orientated floorspace (Class D1), adding to Bluewater’s existing leisure offer and helping to maintain its status as one of the UK’s premier shopping centres. A planning application for an outdoor adventure centre at Bluewater, including a zip wire, skydiving machine, aerial trekking course, giant swing and climbing wall, is currently under consideration.

Outside of the town centre development has continued in 2019 at The Bridge mixed-use development, St Clements Lakes housing adjacent to Bluewater, as well as the residential-led mixed-use developments at Eastern Quarry and Ebbsfleet Green in Ebbsfleet.

There remains strong economic development interest in Dartford, with activity continuing on a number of commercial sites, including at Crossways and The Bridge development (both adjacent to Dartford Bridge), Capacity Business Park on Bob Dunn Way and Questor Industrial Estate. For more information:www.discoverdartford.co.uk www.dartford.gov.uk

GraveshamGravesham is unique with its town centre enjoying an enviable location right on the River Thames. It encompasses exceptional countryside along the North Downs yet located in the heart of the Thames Gateway priority area for regeneration.

In conjunction with this setting is the area’s connectivity with direct High Speed One services bringing the town centre just 22 minutes from central London and 17 minutes from Stratford. Gravesend is the closest Kent town to London in terms of journey time, comparable with Underground Zones Three and Four. Investors and developers are continuing to capitalise on the opportunities presented.

Connectivity has been further boosted with new Thameslink services, easy access to Ebbsfleet International Station and traditional commuter rail routes into London Bridge, Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria. These connections will be further enhanced with Crossrail’s extension to Abbey Wood from late 2020.

Kent Space opened their new showcase ‘easy in/easy out’ serviced office centre at Springhead Enterprise Park in the

summer, centred around the benefits of High Speed One travel out of Ebbsfleet. The business centre also provides high quality self -storage options. This represents a £5.4m investment in the Borough.

In June 2018 Gravesham Borough Council and the REEF Group signed a new deal on the multi-million pound mixed-use regeneration scheme for two areas in the eastern and western sides of Gravesend town centre. This exciting town centre regeneration project will bring new life and activity to the centre of Gravesend. New shops and office space will be created across two sites close to the High Street, as well as a new cinema and hotel. The development will also include new and much needed homes for Gravesend, as well as affordable homes, ideal for people looking to live in central Gravesend and who will be able to benefit from this major new investment.

Planning permission has been granted and works are underway, for the refurbishment and improvement of the St George’s Shopping Centre in the Western Quarter. The centre is being transformed with new-look entrances, flooring, seating, lighting, décor, branding and signage throughout. This will ensure that the centre is more welcoming and attractive to shoppers and retailers, increasing footfall and enhancing the vitality and viability of both St George’s and the wider town centre. An application for the Eastern Quarter is expected to be submitted during 2019.

Quinn Estates have purchased Clifton Slipways on the banks of the River Thames and plan to deliver significant new town centre riverside housing and regenerate the pier for employment uses. For more information: [email protected]


Proposed improvements to the entrance to St Georges Shopping Centre, Gravesend.

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MaidstoneMaidstone is fast-becoming the commercial hub of the South East and the business capital of Kent. As a pro-business local authority, Maidstone Borough Council is committed to supporting numerous developments, from offices and industrial units to housing and infrastructure, to serve the growing economy and transform Maidstone into a truly 21st century County Town.

Planning permission has been granted for the Council’s proposed Innovation Centre at Kent Medical Campus.

Construction will commence in early 2020 and the centre will be ready to welcome its first tenants in 2022. Situated beside Junction 7 of the M20, it will provide 3,437m² (37,000ft2) of flexible office space, facilities and business support for SMEs operating in the life science, healthcare and med-tech sectors. Once completed, it is expected to support around 270 jobs and generate a further £120m of additional gross value added to the local economy over the next decade.

A new warehouse development has been completed at Aylesford Business Park comprising seven trade units to provide space for the industrial and logistics sectors. Situated to the north west of Maidstone and adjacent to the M20, the scheme offers flexible light industrial and trade warehouse units.

Marks & Spencer has signed a lease on its flagship store at Eclipse Park where 300 jobs will be created at the store at M20 Junction 7. Construction work has already begun and the deal agreed with Gallagher Properties will see the new 7,808m² (84,044ft2) store open in 2020. In addition, the development will also unlock Section 106 developer

contributions to be used on a range of schemes to improve the town centre.

Plans are progressing for the development of five new office units at Abbey Court on land off Junction 6 of the M20. The proposed scheme of 4,600m² (49, 513ft²) will make a significant contribution to Maidstone’s economy by delivering an attractive and modern working environment.

Following the success of the £3.5m High Street redevelopment works completed in 2012/ 2013, the Borough Council has undertaken additional public realm improvements to boost the vitality of other areas. More than £3m has been invested in Week Street and Gabriel’s Hill/Lower Stone Street to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. The designs draw upon the rich heritage of Maidstone, including a timeline running all the way from Maidstone East Station to Palace Avenue, marking key points in Maidstone’s history.

Improvements to Maidstone East station will soon allow passengers to benefit from improved cycle parking facilities, as part of a £330,000 project to encourage rail commuters to incorporate cycling into their journey. Additional cycle parking spaces have been installed as part of a new cycle hub, as well as CCTV, lighting and repair stands. Pedestrian links between the station and the town centre will also be improved as part of the redevelopment of the station’s forecourt. Kent County Council is delivering a project to link the station forecourt to Week Street and extend the recent improvements to the town’s public realm.

The council has completed the regeneration of Lenworth House, transforming the disused Georgian property into 14 new apartments as part of its commitment to deliver high-quality housing. A significant project for the council, the project delivers town centre regeneration and much-needed housing. The apartments have proved extremely popular and all the units have been let.

Maidstone is open for business and continues to attract significant investment thanks to its growing reputation as a thriving business destination that offers leisure and lifestyle opportunities. For more information: www.businessinmaidstone.co.uk


Infrastructure and RegenerationContinued

Proposal for Kent Medical Campus Innovation Centre.

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Medway Innovation Park Medway Innovation Park Medway (IPM) was formally launched on 18th September 2018 in conjunction with public consultation on a new draft masterplan for the redevelopment of Rochester Airport. The masterplan was subsequently adopted by Medway Council in March and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council in June, subject to Highways England. The IPM will offer circa 100,000m² (over 1 million ft2) of high quality, innovative commercial space in a prime location near Junction 3 of the M2. It will attract high value, knowledge-intensive businesses looking to grow and benefit from access to world-class research and development and highly skilled talent through the cluster of Kent and Medway based universities.

The first occupant at IPM – the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance – have developed a brand-new headquarters using a state-of-the art modular build system. Medway

Council and Tonbridge & Malling District Council have also developed draft Local Development Orders (LDOs) which will offer streamlined planning for businesses that locate to the site. These draft LDOs were taken to consultation in June and, subject to consultation, it is intended that approval to adopt these LDOs will be sought in late 2019. Innovation Park Medway was awarded £4.4m from the Local Growth Fund in 2016 for improvements to airport infrastructure. The second runway will then close releasing valuable commercial development land. A further award of £3.7m has also been made through the Local Growth Fund for access roads and utilities infrastructure on the first phase of the site, with a further allocation for £1.5m to deliver the second phase

Strood Civic SiteCivic site flood defence works were awarded £3.5m investment from the Local Growth Fund. Flood protection will enable redevelopment to transform the area into a prime, high quality residential-led mixed-use development

with potential for premium housing, offering fantastic views of Rochester’s Castle and Cathedral and access to the River Medway. All flood defence works for the Civic site, including land raising were completed in June and delivered ahead of schedule. Marketing for the site is planned for September.

Bardell WharfBardell Wharf, a Quinn Estates development, will deliver 121 one-bedroom and 210 two-bedroom apartments, enjoying stunning views of the river and along the rooftops of the historic High Street to Rochester Cathedral. Of the 331 residential units, 223 will have their own private terraces. Thirty-five apartments will support affordable housing needs in Medway.

Located less than 350 metres from Rochester train station, sustainability runs throughout the scheme with a number of steps taken to reduce reliance on the car as the primary mode of transport for its future residents, including provision of cycle spaces and an innovative car club scheme. There will also be significantly improved public realm and a new pedestrian crossing over Corporation Street. Bardell Wharf, developed in partnership with Classicus Estates, will also deliver over 1,852m2 (20,000ft2) of retail, professional services, food and new leisure space. This new commercial quarter will complement the existing town centre offer, acting as a catalyst for further investment and regeneration.


Proposal for Bardell Wharf, Rochester.

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Proposal for Innovation Park Medway, runway view.

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Medway Development Company ProjectsMedway Council has bold ambitions to regenerate and revitalise its urban areas and with a substantial land holding, it can positively contribute to this objective. Medway Council has therefore created Medway Development Company Ltd. to deliver high quality developments and support its regeneration initiatives.

Chatham WaterfrontPlanning permission has been granted to develop a high-quality, mixed-use development at the Chatham Waterfront site which will act as a driver for further regeneration in the area. The plans include 175 new homes, new commercial spaces for cafés, restaurants and offices alongside a new public realm to create a vibrant centre for Chatham.

Rochester RiversideFollowing the start of construction last year, Rochester Riverside, Countryside and Hyde Housing Association’s £419m regeneration scheme on the banks of the River Medway is making swift progress, with the first residents having moved in during June 2019. A previously brownfield site, this exciting new riverside destination will provide 1,400 new homes, with 25% affordable, when fully complete in 2030. With the marketing suite, show flat and two show houses now open, sales are progressing strongly on the remaining homes in the first phases of the development. Rochester Riverside is also providing a range of community facilities, including a new primary school, retail space, a hotel and over ten acres of green, open space, helping to create a sustainable community at this landmark new development. These amenities are progressing quickly, with the new Travelodge hotel expected to complete in autumn and the first commercial occupiers, a high-street food retailer and coffee shop, moving into their premises in late autumn. The newly regenerated salt marsh creek is now open to the

public, while construction on the Rochester Riverside primary school is expected to begin later this year.

Chatham WatersA unique waterfront location on the site of a former historic naval dockyard in Kent, Peel Land & Property’s Chatham Waters boasts unparalleled views across the Medway Estuary but with just a 40-minute commute into Central London.Consisting of residential, commercial, retail, leisure and education, the dynamic 10.5ha (26-acre) destination includes a University Technical College, Marston’s family restaurant, Asda Superstore, plus green spaces and walkways where people can relax, socialise and unwind.

The £650m Chatham Waters masterplan has been carefully planned to ensure that the regeneration of this former brownfield site delivers a truly inspirational new destination. Peel L&P have worked closely with Medway Council to

ensure that Chatham Waters not only complements but enhances the surrounding area.

Peel L&P’s PRS (private rented sector) apartment scheme is currently on site, forward funded by private equity firm Long Harbour, comprising 193 one, two and three-bedroom apartments over two interconnected blocks and linked by ground floor retail units on the waterfront boulevard. In the open market sale by X1 Developments, 199 apartments overlooking the Medway Estuary, topped out in August 2019. The scheme has the potential to deliver circa 1.9 million ft2 of floorspace which is similar to the scale of Peel L&P’s MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays.

For more information:www.medway.gov.uk



Proposal for Chatham Waterfront.

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Swale Incorporating Sittingbourne, the Isle of Sheppey and Faversham, the past year has been one largely of consolidation for Swale, with established employment sites and major projects progressing and coming to fruition.

Swale has continued to see a steady stream of investment, leading the way in the delivery of new commercial, and in particular industrial, space. ALDI has opened its new 61,316m² (660,000ft²) Regional Distribution Centre in Queenborough, creating 400 new jobs. Eurolink, driven by Trenport Investments, continues to be a major focus for businesses, both small and large. Whilst availability remains on the latest, fifth phase of Eurolink, the past year has seen a number of significant owner-occupiers secure planning approvals for bespoke facilities, with construction now well advanced. Elsewhere, on what has become one of Kent’s largest concentrations of business, established occupiers are expanding and there remains a steady interest in available premises.

There is also a growing interest from developers in new speculative development at Eurolink but also across the Borough, reflecting the limited supply relative to demand and the success of recently completed small unit schemes. Planning permission has already been secured for an extension to the successful 17,651m² (190,000ft²) Eurocentre Business Park at Faversham by GW Holdings, providing nine additional small units, with current applications for other schemes on the Isle of Sheppey and at Sittingbourne.

The Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust has also successfully secured £4.2m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to create a new enterprise centre, which will be run in partnership with the Kent Youth Support Trust. The project to restore the Grade II* listed Dockyard Church also includes the conservation and installation of a historic model of the dockyard, a community café and event space for hire.

As part of its 20-year masterplan for the Port of Sheerness, Peel Ports has completed the first round of a multi-million-pound investment, with £27m spent at the Wellmarsh site on the Isle of Sheppey. The site includes 9.3ha (23 acres) of car storage and 10.11ha (25 acres) of timber storage facilities. The investment has helped to position Sheerness as an industry leader for bulk timber products and the largest terminal of its type in the UK, handling 1.3m tonnes of timber and forest products each year. The Royal Bridge Pontoon has been replaced with a new larger ramp at a cost of £5.5m to enable larger stern Ro-Ro vessels to berth at the port.

Kent Science Park has seen ongoing investment at the site, with the opening of the The HUB, a communal building providing new cafeteria and conference facilities for its tenants. The £2m project officially opened in March 2019 and provides a new management suite, catering and flexible meeting space which can be configured to provide one, two or three meeting rooms with full AV connectivity, accommodating up to 170 people in theatre-style seating.

Alongside the success of the Neatscourt employment development, the wider Queenborough and Rushenden Regeneration Project has seen the continued build out of the first phase of housing. Future phases will now be supported by the injection of £5.1m from the Housing Infrastructure Fund, which will help with site remediation, assist with viability and accelerate delivery.

Major mixed-use developments in Faversham are also underway, at Perry Court and at Love Lane. Initial phases of housing are now being built and marketed, with associated employment development to follow. Both sites are well located in relation to the strategic road network, close to Junctions 6 and 7 of the M2 respectively. With interest in both opportunities it is anticipated that the coming year will see the commercial elements of these schemes come forward.

The regeneration of Sittingbourne Town Centre continues apace, bringing improved retail and leisure offers to the area. The multi-storey car park is nearing completion and will open in 2019 and the surrounding road layout has been remodelled. Construction is now well advanced on the leisure quarter, Bourne Place, which will include restaurants, a hotel and a seven-screen cinema. Lounges and Creams have recently been announced as the latest tenants to join Nando’s, Pizza Express, the Light Cinema and Travelodge. The leisure quarter is expected to fully open in 2020.

With Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council working closely, there has been some focus on delivering major infrastructure upgrades for the Borough. Bids to improve the main gateway infrastructure to Sittingbourne at Grovehurst and the Key Street Roundabouts on the A249 have been submitted, with the outcome to be known late in 2019. Highways England has also published orders which mark the final stage of consultation on their proposals to improve Junction 5 of the M2. The scheme will include a new flyover and will create an uninterrupted link for drivers travelling on the A249. Construction is expected to begin in March 2020.

For more information:www.swalemeansbusiness.co.uk


New premises for Cook Food at the Eurolink East V Business Park, Sittingbourne.

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West Kent

SevenoaksSevenoaks District is attractive to residents, employers and visitors, with excellent connectivity and attractive countryside. The Council’s ambition is to build on strong economic performance whilst leaving a positive legacy through growth.

The Council’s plans and strategies reinforce this approach. The Council Plan and Economic Development Strategy reflect the priorities in regenerating the area’s market towns, building on unique locations and encouraging the diversity of independent retailers. By enhancing rural and visitor economies the aim is to create a sustainable model to encourage visitors, residents and businesses to make the most of the area’s heritage and location. Making better use of existing sites and redeveloping previously used land will provide opportunities for growth and development whilst protecting the countryside.

The Council also wants to continue to support and grow local businesses through the ‘Team Around Your Business’ model. This provides exceptional customer service and a single point of contact to our business customers via the Council’s Economic Development staff who are able to support businesses to locate and grow within Sevenoaks District.

The examination of the new Local Plan for the period to 2035 is taking place this autumn with formal adoption expected in 2020. The new Local Plan will create the framework to enable the delivery of the Council’s priorities.

As part of market town regeneration the council has created the Sevenoaks town centre multi-storey car park. This development has provided an additional 200 spaces in the centre of Sevenoaks creating ample parking for residents,

visitors and supporting many local businesses and their staff. This has included provision of 10 luxury town houses and associated public realm and environmental works. The council has also developed a new 83 bedroom Premier Inn adjacent to Sevenoaks train station which continues to support businesses as well as visitors to the town.

New retail developments have taken place in Edenbridge and Otford Road, Sevenoaks as well as at the business park on Moor Road. At Fort Halstead, the owners, Merseyside Pension Fund, have submitted a new planning application for employment led redevelopment of the site.

As part of the council’s commitment to sustainable development, plans are due to be submitted in November for a key site in the centre of Swanley. This will include a business hub and provide key development in the town. In addition, the council will be supporting improvements to Swanley train station from where it is possible to access London within 35 minutes. This commitment to market town regeneration will also see the replacement of White Oak Leisure Centre in Swanley, with an attractive new facility for the local community, employees and businesses.

Also in Swanley town centre, developers U+I have received approval for a scheme which will include over 300 new homes and 400m² of commercial and retail space.

The preparation of the new Local Plan has brought forward a range of potential developments which will provide additional future capacity for business and employment growth in the District.

For more information:www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/business

Tonbridge & MallingThe borough of Tonbridge and Malling continues to see strong levels of growth taking place with over 1000 new homes completed and a number of impressive new commercial developments were constructed during 2018/19.

Development is progressing well at a range of strategic sites, such as Peter’s Village and Phase 3 of Kings Hill to provide a stream of new homes over the next 5-10 years. In addition the council is pressing ahead with the allocation of new sites

in order to meet the needs of the borough for the period up to 2031. Having undertaken a Regulation 19 consultation in 2018, the council submitted a new Local Plan to the Secretary of State in January 2019, with adoption planned for 2020.

Strategic SitesDuring 2018/19, there has been progress on a number of key investments and sites:

Borough Green Gardens is one of 19 Garden Villages to be selected onto the Garden Communities Programme following a successful bid in November 2018. With £150,000 awarded to help fund the project, the money will be used to facilitate delivery of high quality housing, which members of the local community can access. This will be enabled through support from Homes England on design and delivery, developing infrastructure proposals and working towards a masterplan that clearly demonstrates how a new Garden Community will operate. Phase one of the project is likely to start in 2022/23 with 1,720 properties potentially completed by 2031. Borough Green Gardens will not only provide new homes, but also opportunities for employment, education and healthcare as well as the necessary infrastructure to meet the needs of the wider area.

At Kings Hill, Countryside Properties are currently on site creating a new development of 635 homes, a new primary school and parklands. Like the rest of Kings Hill, this new development will be of a high quality, having been designed through the application of a ‘landscape first’ strategy and extensive local consultation.

Peter’s Village is an all-new 1,000-home rural community between the River Medway and Kent Downs, with excellent links to the M2, M20 and M25, plus High Speed One as well as coach options for London commuting. Connectivity for jobs, education and leisure have been enhanced by the specially built Peters Bridge over the Medway. Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells/Tonbridge, the Medway Towns and the Bluewater Shopping Centre are all easily accessible. On the site of a former Victorian cement works and quarries, yet home to rare flora and fauna, both heritages were embraced by developer Trenport, which has funded a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) heritage trail and bespoke public art – a huge steel industry and wildlife sculpture welcomes visitors. Trenport has set the tone for quality apartment



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and house design, all constructed by award-winning housebuilders. This is complemented by a new school and village centre hall, shops and other facilities, all served by eco-friendly walk, bridleway and cycle networks.

At the former Aylesford Newsprint site demolition work has now been completed, with a fresh planning application for commercial uses scheduled to be submitted to the Borough Council during 2019.

The East Malling Research (EMR) campus began in 1913 as a horticultural research station. Important research on perennial crops has resulted in a world-wide reputation for plant raising, fruit plant culture/breeding, fruit storage and the biology and control of pests and diseases. The East Malling Trust own and manage the estate that includes the

Grade I listed Bradbourne House and the science campus. In 2016, the EMR Research Station became NIAB EMR, part of the NIAB Group the largest UK institute specialising in fruit with particular emphasis on perennial and clonally-propagated crop production. Their global reputation and the increasing focus on climate and agri-security creates opportunities to attract younger generations into horticultural research.

As a first phase of the new East Malling Advanced Technology Horticulture Zone, there are proposals to develop a series of advanced technology glasshouses and support buildings to facilitate efforts into the production and propagation of existing fruit research, accommodate new research and ultimately replace their existing glasshouse stock. Planning approval is being sought for circa 5,300m²

(57,049ft²) of glasshouses and 2,290m² (24,650ft²) of supporting facilities. The initial building phase will begin immediately with subsequent phases as funding permits.

Town CentresTonbridge town centre continues to see considerable public and private investment. Following on from extensive public realm improvements along the High Street, River Walk, Tonbridge Town Lock and most recently around Tonbridge Station, work is soon to commence on the delivery of a new cycle hub. Key town centre projects have also made substantial progress over the past 12 months, including a new medical centre currently under construction on River Lawn Road. Once built, this facility will provide a purpose-built centre that includes consulting rooms, minor surgery room, pharmacy and well-being clinic.

In March 2019, the council launched a Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme to support independent retailers and food outlets within the borough’s towns and district centres. Take up has so far been strong with 10 grants awarded for a variety of improvements with many more applications in the pipeline.

InfrastructureFurther improving the local infrastructure, the work of the West Kent Partnership and the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership have helped to secure Local Growth Fund investment towards a number of schemes, including: • Increasing the capacity of the Leigh Flood Storage Area and

Hildenborough Embankments Scheme – giving greater protection to existing homes and commercial premises as well as opportunities for sustainable growth.

• Improvements to Junction 4 of the M20• Improvements to Snodland and Tonbridge Stations.

Work is now also underway on the M20 corridor, between Junctions 3 and 5. This 6.5 mile stretch is being upgraded to an All-Lane Running (ALR) smart motorway and is scheduled to be completed by March 2020. For more information: [email protected]


Aerial image of Kings Hill new homes and public park 2019.

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Tunbridge WellsWork is underway on the new Local Plan for Tunbridge Wells which will allocate land for approximately 13,500 homes and between 4.45 and 5.66ha (11 to 14acres) of employment space across the Borough. Public consultation on the Draft Plan began in September and is due to be submitted at the end of 2020. This Local Plan will guide development in the Borough until 2036.

The Borough Council and Kent County Council are working together to redevelop the existing museum, library and adult education centre in Royal Tunbridge Wells as the Amelia Centre for Culture & Learning. Services are being decanted from the building, with reduced services to be delivered from temporary locations in the town centre including the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre and the Corn Exchange. Completion of the redevelopment is scheduled for 2021. It was decided at Full Council meeting on 8 October not to progress the Calverley Square proposals in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Funded through the Local Growth Fund, public realm improvements are underway for Mount Pleasant Road in Royal Tunbridge Wells, between the junctions of Monson Road and Church Road. The works include enhancements to Civic Way, improving the setting of the War Memorial and the introduction of vehicle movement restrictions as well as improved pedestrian and cycling facilities. Vehicle access through this area will be limited to buses and taxis only between 9am and 6pm and with a 20mph speed restriction. Kent County Council is managing the works on behalf of the council due for completion in autumn 2019.

The former cinema site in central Royal Tunbridge Wells is subject to a new planning application which seeks consent for alterations to a previously approved development, including residential and commercial uses. The application is due to be determined at Planning Committee in Autumn 2019.

Work on the conversion of Merevale House in London Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, to a 110-bed Premier Inn Hotel is nearing completion, with an expected opening date in November this year.

Royal Victoria Place shopping centre has announced that the Ely Court area of the centre will be opening as a new street food and entertainment market, comprising dining, cinema and live music. This is scheduled to open in late 2019. British Land has also announced that they will be investing £11m to renovate the existing centre, with completion of the works scheduled for summer 2020. The Corn Exchange in the Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells is set to become 17 suites of flexible serviced office accommodation. Refurbishment work is nearing completion on site and the offices will become available later in 2019. Demolition of the Union House office



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accommodation in the Pantiles has been completed and the site is under construction for 127 new residential apartments, community and commercial space to form 1887 The Pantiles. Completion is due in Summer 2020.

Major housing developments are also underway in Hawkenbury (east of Royal Tunbridge Wells) and in Paddock Wood. Work has commenced on site for the first phase of the Hawkenbury Farm development. In addition, there is currently an application pending to provide an additional 8 homes which would result in a total of 243 homes. Work is progressing at Mascalls Court Farm in Paddock Wood. In October 2018, planning permission was granted for 309 homes. Berkeley Homes will also be submitting an application for the delivery of an additional 113 new homes. Following a ballot in late 2018, Royal Tunbridge Wells Business Improvement District (BID) was officially launched in April 2019. Over a five-year period the BID will be working to deliver initiatives under the priority themes, identified by businesses and set out in the BID’s Business Plan: Business Support, Events, Promotion & Marketing and Parking & Accessibility.

The council and Kent County Council are continuing to work on projects to improve cycle infrastructure. Phase 1 of the improvements to the A26 route between Tonbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells was completed in 2018 and work is progressing to make improvements to the 21st Century Way route between Royal Tunbridge Wells town centre and the North Farm Estate.

For more information: [email protected]

East Kent

AshfordThe Borough Council has officially adopted its Local Plan to 2030 which outlines key development to deliver strategic residential and employment sites. It aims to deliver over 13,000 homes and 63 hectares of new employment land linked to the creation of 11,100 jobs.

Ashford is one of the first councils nationally to take a proactive approach to facilitating the installation of optical fibre broadband to the premises with a dedicated policy in

its Local Plan. The aim is to help developers, residents and businesses reap the benefits of broadband.

The pace of economic growth is accelerating in Ashford – Kent’s number one business location. When the council acquired International House and sites adjoining the International Station in 2014, it created the Commercial Quarter. This key business hub is located 38 minutes from London, with direct connections to Europe’s major cities via Eurostar. Connect 38, the largest office block to be built in Kent for 20 years, opened in the Commercial Quarter in summer 2018. Constructed by Quinn Estates, working alongside George Wilson Holdings, the 80,500 sq ft office block has now attracted blue chip companies PageSuite, Towergate Insurance, MLM Group and Wilkins Kennedy.

Next door is the council-owned Coachworks, which opened in autumn 2019. These disused industrial buildings have been transformed into an exciting mixed-use campus providing co-working space aimed at start-up firms, an event space and a food and drink destination. Award-winning London architect Carl Turner (Pop Brixton and Peckham Levels) is retained to transform and run the site.

The town centre Elwick Place cinema and leisure complex has been opening in phases since December 2018, with a mix of restaurant and other tenants taking space in a 9,290m² (100,000ft²) scheme owned and funded by the council. Built by Stanhope PLC and anchored by a Picturehouse cinema and a Travelodge, other tenants include food and drink specialist Macknade and the UK’s first Dansaki Afro-Caribbean restaurant.

A host of developments are transforming Victoria Way, including a newly-opened craft brewery and visitor centre from Curious Drinks Limited, the beer and cider subsidiary of Chapel Down winery. The company’s investment is enabling it to grow its domestic and international distribution. Also on Victoria Way, construction is progressing at Victoria Point, where a 120 bedroom hotel, 216 apartments and three retail units are taking shape. This follows the opening of a 1,719m² (18,500ft²) ALDI superstore in autumn 2018. To the east of Victoria Way the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet, Ashford, is proudly showing off its newly-opened 9,290m² (100,000ft²) extension, the result of a £90m investment by McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading owner and manager of designer outlets.

The expansion brings 500 jobs and 50 new fashion, food and homeware brands, a new food piazza and a redesigned, interactive children’s play area to complement the retail offer in Ashford’s town centre.

Nearby is the former Ashford Railway Works, where developer Quinn Estates intends to transform the 8.09ha (20acre) site by adding film and TV studios, a 180 bedroom hotel, office space and apartments. Quinn has teamed up with The Creative District Improvement Company to manage the site and is reported to be negotiating with a number of potential global entertainment giants about taking space, including streaming firm Netflix. An application was submitted in October.

BizSpace, the UK’s largest provider of flexible workspace, is behind plans to add additional commercial accommodation at Eureka Park, close to J9 of the M20. This is in response to demand for high-quality office space in key locations along the M20 corridor in Kent.

Ashford Borough Council’s approach is a key driver in this landscape of investment and business confidence, with the ‘AshfordFor’ inward investment campaign succeeding in stimulating interest and attracting investors (www.ashfordfor.com). The council’s expansion of its property portfolio is focused on boosting the availability of new commercial and industrial space. In 2018 the council signed a deal with Gallagher Properties to build a 28-unit business park in Carlton Road.

New housing schemes are providing high quality homes for Ashford’s fast-growing population. The Borough’s population is due to rise from 128,000 to 150,000 by 2030 which is reflected in the recently adopted Local Plan.

Modelled on garden city principles, the 5,750-home development at Chilmington Green is coming forward over the next 20 years, with the first phase of homes now on the market. The scheme will include four new primary schools, one secondary school, plus retail and commercial space in a leafy setting.

The first residents are moving into Riverside Park, built by developer GRE Assets on a former Powergen site in Victoria Way. Work started on delivering 246 apartments and 26


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town-houses in spring 2017. Crest Nicholson’s award-winning Finberry scheme, a 1,100 home community on the south-eastern outskirts of Ashford, is recognised as a quality development, with a primary school, health centre and community facilities adding to the village feel of the development.

The Clarion Housing Group is building 300 lakeside homes at Conningbrook, alongside a family country park benefiting from a watersports centre.

Planning consent has been granted for the Kent Wool Growers site in Tannery Lane in Ashford town centre for a mixed-use development of homes, public realm and a riverside walkway. The proposals by U+I Group Plc will see 243 one, two and three bed apartments across four buildings between six and 14 storeys high.

The new £104m J10a on the M20 has been built south east of the existing J10 and will be a catalyst for further economic and commercial development. The new junction, the third to serve Ashford, is due to open in late 2019. This new junction will serve a number of nearby developments, including the 140 acre Waterbrook Park. The GSE Group’s masterplan includes 400 homes, new commercial space creating nearly 1,000 jobs, shops, restaurants and parkland. The expanded Ashford International Truckstop is taking shape, with owners GSE saying the work will double the capacity of the existing truckstop to 600 HGV places. Adjoining J10a is MOJO, a greenfield site of around 111,484m² (1.2m ft² ) with planning consent for storage and distribution. This is being marketed as a development opportunity ideally located for import and export with superb onward links to the rest of the UK.

For more information:www.ashfordfor.com

CanterburyIn Canterbury the City Council continues to work with partners Linkcity to progress The Riverside mixed-use scheme, further regenerating the Kingsmead area of the city. In November 2018 Councillors agreed to invest £23m in the project which will see the council retain ownership of the cinema, restaurants, car park, the public square and entertainment area. Following this investment, further deals have been signed with The Hyde Group, who will deliver 189 affordable homes across the scheme and Curzon, who will operate the five-screen cinema. Construction is expected to start on site this autumn, with completion of the commercial component due in summer 2021.

Work has also begun on the former Slatters Hotel redevelopment to deliver a high quality 131 bedroom hotel, retail units and roof-top destination restaurant in the city centre for completion in autumn 2020. Following interest from six hotel chains the site has been taken up by

Hampton by Hilton, which is part of the Hilton Worldwide group. Alongside this, a new luxury 28 bedroom hotel and restaurant opened on the outskirts of Canterbury this spring in the village of Bridge. The Home Grown Hotels chain launched the Pig Hotel in the 16th century manor house formerly known as Bridge Place Country Club. This site was selected as part of a £30m expansion plan to add three new boutique, quintessentially British hotels to their portfolio.

In the seaside town of Herne Bay the council is progressing its £5.9m Beach Street project to transform two former council-owned car parks and a number of disused and derelict buildings into a new residential and commercial complex. The scheme was granted permission in May 2019 with work expected to start in early 2020 and finish in late 2022. As well as providing 33 new residential properties, retail units and artists’ studio spaces in the heart of the town, the project will also enable people to move more easily between the seafront and shops, cafés and other amenities in the



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town centre. Also in Herne Bay the council is refurbishing its former Wimereux Square based District Office building into a new business hub. Part financed by a grant from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund the Neptune Co-Working Project will provide co-working office, training, meeting and studio space for local start-up and existing creative businesses. The project aims to diversify the town’s largely tourism-based economy and open this autumn.

Finally, Canterbury is well known as a centre of knowledge and education with its four universities and many other skills and training providers. This reputation will be expanded further with major new investment over the next few years by University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. A particular highlight will be the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) and the universities are currently preparing for the first intake of students from September 2020. With both universities incorporating new facilities into their campus masterplans KMMS students will be able to study in state-of-the-art buildings on both Canterbury campuses.

In March 2019 the council granted planning permission for a new 2,366m² (25,467ft²) three-storey facility at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus. Planned for completion in August 2020 this £10m project will contain purpose-built accommodation to provide a modern environment for medical students and academics to learn and conduct research. It will house a 150-seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms, GP simulation suite, study spaces and offices for the KMMS.

On Canterbury Christ Church University’s campus in the city, the former Canterbury Prison site is due to open to students in 2020. Here students will be able to learn anatomy and physiology in a modern, well-equipped Anatomy Learning Centre complete with clinical skills facilities and simulation suites. Included as part of a major new facility for science, engineering, health and medicine, this resource will be complemented by an engineering and design makers space, ICT facilities, study areas and conference and meeting rooms. For more information: www.canterbury.gov.uk


Proposal for Canterbury Riverside from riverfront.

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DoverDover District is open for business with multi-million pound investments in town centre and waterfront regeneration, new commercial, retail and leisure spaces, and will host one of the world’s biggest golf championships, The Open at the Royal St Georges course in Sandwich in 2020.

Dover is just 21 miles from Calais and is a vital international gateway. Combine this with excellent links to central London – just an hour from Dover by High Speed One – nowhere is better connected for doing business and for visiting The Open. The district is getting ready for the return of the golf championship next year. Dover District Council, Kent County Council, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club and Royal St George’s are working together to prepare a warm welcome for the championship.

Dover is the UK’s second busiest cruise port and hosts many of the world’s top cruise lines. Cruise ships are already being booked to attend The Open. The new Saga cruise ship, Spirit of Discovery, was officially named by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall in July. Ahead of this, the Port of Dover officially unveiled its new multi-purpose Berth 4, taking a major step towards the full launch of the Dover Western Docks regeneration in 2020. Dover will be the first port-of-call for a new Virgin cruise ship and DFDS has announced a new ship for the English Channel due in 2021.

The Dover Western Docks Revival is well underway, including a new marina pier that is already open. Construction on a transformed waterfront is progressing to attract a range of shops, bars, cafés and restaurants with Dover’s unique backdrop of the harbour, the famous white cliffs and Dover Castle.

Discovery Park in Sandwich continues to bring major investment to the district with Pfizer continuing its commitment to the UK life sciences sector by announcing a £5m investment. An additional £5m of funding has been unlocked from Kent County Council via the East Kent Growth Fund established to help investors grow businesses and create new jobs.

Dover District is extremely popular as a great place to live, work and play. The District continues to see significant housing growth. The Council is in the process of producing a new Local Plan which will include policies to guide new development to 2038. Consultation on the draft plan is planned for early 2020.

Whitfield Urban Expansion continues to progress with the Aylesham Garden Village, alongside continued growth across the district. The District Council has been awarded funding from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund

to support the development of a Bus Rapid Transfer System between Whitfield, Dover town centre and Dover Priory station.

Legal & General’s £53m St James Development is open in the heart of Dover town centre, with a range of top names in retail and leisure.

Dover District Council has launched a Town Centre Business Grant Scheme, which offers grant of up to £10,000 to bring commercial properties back into use, or up to £1,000 to upgrade or improve the appearance of commercial properties. It applies to designated areas in Dover, Deal and Sandwich.

The new £26m Dover District Leisure Centre opened in early 2019. The centre features the first swimming pool in Kent to be purpose-built to Sport England specifications for a county standard competition pool. The learner pool has a moveable



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floor to vary the depth and both pools are fully accessible and include pool-pod platform lifts. Other facilities include a four court sports hall, clip ‘n climb climbing arena, 120 station fitness suite, two multi-activity studios, spin studio, squash courts, outdoor five-a-side 3G pitches and a sauna and steam room. For more information: www.investindover.co.uk

Folkestone & Hythe Trendy…cool…up-and-coming…all words used to describe Folkestone in a run of national media articles this year. Capitalising on Folkestone & Hythe’s trendy identity and reputation as a destination for all things creative and cultural, a new place brand and marketing campaign will launch at the end of 2019. Developed in collaboration with local businesses and stakeholders, the new brand articulates the district’s vision and highlights the area’s strengths as a place to invest, work, live and visit.

An enterprising district with exciting new developments completed and more coming forward. Excellent connectivity to London via High Speed One in 54 minutes, motorway as well as direct links with continental Europe through the Channel Tunnel. This, combined with an attractive coastal location, create an offer that surpasses the expectations of many investors and businesses.

Folkestone’s regeneration arc from the seafront to the town centre continues to progress apace. The Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company received detailed planning approval last year and is now set to commence building the first homes on site.

The popularity of the Creative Quarter as a thriving hub for studios and creative businesses has made the area a key location in Kent for the creative and digital industries, with the success of companies like Sleeping Giant, Cognitive Media and Progress all ensuring Folkestone is leading the industries of tomorrow.

The recently rebranded Creative Folkestone is expanding its business property portfolio within the Creative Quarter to offer bespoke space for digital creative industries. This includes the newly refurbished Glassworks offering serviced co-working space that meets the need for flexible working, self-employment and freelancing.

Next year, the Folkestone Triennial Arts Festival 2020 will return to Folkestone. The 2017 Festival took place to critical acclaim and encouraged a surge of visitors to the area who were encouraged to follow an extensive tour of public art around the town. The restored harbour viaduct has now been re-opened to create a more direct pedestrian route to the Harbour Arm with its renovated buildings and eateries.

The new multi-storey urban sports centre funded by the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust is due to open in early 2020. It will offer a unique range of sports, including skateboarding, boxing, climbing and bouldering, and will add a further dimension to the offer in this part of the town for residents and visitors alike. It is also the first of its kind in the world.

For visitors extending their stay, the District has an enviable range of accommodation including budget, boutique and 4-star hotels such as Hythe Imperial and Folkestone’s Burlington. Hampton by Hilton has now been announced by


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Ravensbourne Investments as the 131-bedroom luxury hotel brand coming to the former Silver Spring site.

The residential market also remains lively with major developers including Taylor Wimpey, Pentland Homes and Barratts active in the area. The council is progressing plans for the development of 10,000 homes at Otterpool Park Garden Town and a planning application was submitted in February this year. In March the project received a £1.25m funding boost from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of a cash injection into 21 new garden towns and villages across the country.

Plans to develop 150 seafront homes and a leisure centre on a brownfield site at Princes Parade in Hythe were approved in August. The development will comprise 30% affordable homes, 1,270m² (13, 670ft²) commercial space, five hectares of public open space and a leisure centre with a 25m swimming pool and gym.

The District Council has partnered with Magnox Industries to bring forward the undeveloped employment land at Mountfield Road Industrial Estate in New Romney. A new business hub and servicing infrastructure for a further five acres for grow-on space and inward investment has received planning permission. Considerable progress is being made and it is expected to open in spring 2021. Local businesses have been positive suggesting significant demand for the space.

The attributes of the district are increasingly becoming recognised – creative, connected and coastal. For more information: www.folkestone.works

Thanet The economy has continued to grow over recent years with the district seeing further inward investment, growing numbers of visitors and more people relocating to the area. House prices have increased, with anecdotal evidence suggesting some of this is driven by the London housing market with people relocating and working closer to home. Thanet’s improved connectivity is also driving entrepreneurs to set up businesses in the district, not only for the local market but nationally and internationally.

New build housing has continued on some of the key sites in the district, adding to the variety of housing on offer in the area. To bring London closer, Thanet District and Kent County Council and partners are investing in a Parkway Station which will bring the City of London within an hour of Thanet.

The Economic Growth Strategy for Thanet is being reviewed to ensure that the strategic priorities for the district will improve its growth prospects. Working with partners in both the public and private sectors will be vital in its delivery. The strategy will help to see that Thanet’s requirements are understood at a national level.

The council is developing a vision for its main high streets in order to put proposals forward to government and to work with the private sector to leverage capital funding. Tourism and the creative industries are important sectors for the district and will form part of the solution for regenerating town centres. In the face of significant changes in the national retail picture, Thanet’s high streets are beginning to buck the trend with growth in the independent retail and food and beverage sectors.

The appeal of Thanet’s seaside resorts is being rediscovered and far beyond the bygone perception of the traditional British seaside holiday. It is now much broader, attracting businesses and individuals looking to achieve the all-important, work-life balance, whilst remaining a great place to holiday. Those relocating to Thanet realise that they can benefit from a coastal location, within easy reach of, and travel time to, London, supported by the excellent High Speed One service. Margate is often referred to as ‘Shoreditch-on-Sea‘, thanks primarily to the 84% increase in creative businesses in Thanet (2012-16). Business confidence levels are high with 80% of creatives surveyed saying they

feel confident about the future of their business (Source: Thanet’s New Wave).

Margate and Ramsgate have a huge variety of businesses, freelancers and creative practitioners living and working in the towns. Thanet’s strong appeal to the creative industries, coupled with its attractive, coastal environment are helping to drive the district’s reputation as a location for filming and photoshoots. The combination of visual appeal, proximity, affordability and creative flair make it an excellent choice for creative agencies and principal broadcasters when contracting for shoots and programme making. There is an opportunity to attract a small cluster of such creative production companies to Thanet. In the last 12 months, household names and high-end brands have used Thanet’s beaches, bays and towns as a backdrop for their photoshoots, including Burberry, House of Fraser, Phase Eight, Primark and Ted Baker.

The tourism and leisure sectors are an integral part of Thanet’s growing economy. Trips to the popular and award-winning seaside resorts of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate rose 8.6% in 2017 (from 2015). With investment in a number of large hotels planned in the seaside towns, this trend is set to continue. Thanet’s 19 miles of spectacular coastline and its cultural offer attracted 4.2 million trips to the area in 2017 which resulted in a 9.2% increase in value of the sector to the district (2015-2017). The sector accounts for 19% of the total employment across the district. Margate’s cultural resurgence has helped regenerate the Old Town with an array of independent shops, galleries and eateries as well as the renowned Turner Contemporary. The gallery is hosting the Turner Prize from September 2019 with an arts and cultural festival to complement the awards taking place at venues across Margate.

Regeneration continues apace in Margate. Dreamland, the historic amusement park, received significant private sector investment and re-opened in May 2017 as a major attraction. As well as being a theme park, Dreamland is also a major music venue, and events space. Planning permission has been granted for a 120-bedroom hotel adjacent to the site.

The Dickensian town of Broadstairs, steeped in stories, continues to draw crowds with its famous ‘retro’ ice cream parlours and attractive cottages adding to its unique and



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timeless seaside charm. The only Royal Harbour in Britain, Ramsgate is a busy destination containing 700 leisure berths. It caters for visiting vessels, as well as those based there year-round and is home to a large fishing fleet. Ramsgate is also recognised as one of only ten national Heritage Action Zones by Historic England and one of two in the South East, acknowledging Ramsgate’s rich historic environment in supporting economic growth.

Manston Business Park which is owned by East Kent Opportunities, a partnership between Kent County Council and Thanet District Council has seen significant business investment with the completion of light industrial units for sale or rent, creating jobs in the area. Wahl UK has expanded operations to a 9,011m² (97,000ft²) site at Manston as a result of the company’s growth, with the workforce expanding and the new building supporting continued expansion plans. Manston is well connected by dual carriageway to the motorway network.

For logistics companies and multinationals, the Port of Ramsgate is the second closest UK port to mainland Europe. A dedicated £30m tunnel and approach road bypasses the town and provides unimpeded access for customers and freight. The demand for road goods vehicles crossing the English Channel is expected to increase from 3.17 million in 2015 to 4.6 million by 2035. The excellent road links and short sea crossing times mean Ramsgate is ideally located to meet this rising demand for freight traffic and provide much needed resilience for the cross-channel freight network.

A proposed new dual carriageway to Thanet, the A28 Birchington, Acol and Westgate-on-Sea Relief Road is in the ‘top ten’ list of high-priority road improvement schemes which has been submitted to government. It is part of a £3.5bn, five-year investment programme which aims to cut congestion, speed up journeys and support economic growth across the South East. It was agreed and submitted by Transport for the South East (TfSE), a new regional body which brings together local authorities, business groups and the transport industry to speak with one voice on the region’s transport needs.

The owners of the land at Manston Airport have submitted a Development Consent Order application which is under examination by the Examining Authority. A decision by the

Secretary of State is expected in early 2020. The Thanet District Council Local Plan to 2031 is currently being reviewed by the Planning Inspectorate. The Plan is expected to be adopted in Spring of 2020. For more information: www.thanet.gov.uk

East Kent Opportunities (EKO)EKO is a highly successful property partnership between Kent County Council and Thanet District Council. It facilitates and encourages economic growth through its landownerships and has seen significant business investment with the completion of light industrial units for sale or rent, creating significant numbers of jobs in the area. EKO LLP promotes and owns the remaining undeveloped areas at Manston Business Park and the remaining residual land at Eurokent, Ramsgate.

Manston Business Park The park enjoys excellent access to The Thanet Way and onto the motorway network. With the success of EKO’s calibrated land disposal programme, which includes a partnering approach to facilitate economic development and a measured phased approach to development delivery, Manston Business Park has seen significant progress in the past five years. This includes the continued expansion of The Maples Business Park, a successful concept by Manyweathers Properties and extended across from the original scheme, The Oaks.

The phased expansion of Maple Leaf by Manyweathers Properties has generally exceeded expectations and the company are continuing to progress with the development. Over 200 individual units have been delivered/completed on site and are selling/letting rapidly in what is otherwise a difficult economic climate. The scheme’s success reflects the substantial personal investment in the sites bought so far.

EKO LLP has currently agreed terms on nine separate plot sales at Manston Business Park. These include a variety of new headquarter developments for SME’s. The park welcomed Robbie Toys Ltd and Groundwork Solutions Ltd , both having acquired land for expansion of respective operations in August 2019. Plots 1a, 1b and 1c, which form

the main scheme’s frontage overlooking the western end of Manston Airport’s runway, are envisaged to produce a major phased office development. Following the pre-application process a detailed planning submission is expected shortly. This will present an impressive development across the business park site’s entrance, with frontage buildings along Columbus Avenue and Spitfire Way. Plot 2 is the only significant remaining parcel yet to be sold and is not being marketed on the basis of it offering further office campus expansion in the future. Wahl UK has expanded operations at its 9,011m² (97,000ft²) building on Invicta Way as a result of the company’s growth and workforce expansion.

EKO’s ownership of Manston Business Park is not the entire employment land allocation in the Local Plan. China Gateway International (CGI) own adjacent land that approximately doubles the current Manston Business Park land area, and provides potential for a further 1 million ft² of business space. This is likely to be smaller space for the SME market rather than large-scale manufacturing. This land area is not being openly marketed/promoted, although there has been developer interest in its acquisition. The CGI land requires service provision and/or highway and access arrangements and additional investment would be needed to bring this forward for future development.

EurokentEKO has exchanged contracts with Kentish Projects on Plot 2, also known as the Trapezium at Ozengell Place. The transaction is subject to detailed planning and is for 38 modular homes, as an exemplar affordable modular housing scheme. Consent is expected from the District Council by autumn 2019. Plot 3 has also been exchanged and a mix of commercial uses are proposed with planning discussions ongoing. The remaining parts of Eurokent have outline planning permission and a master plan identifies primarily residential development which will front on to New Haine Road. Homes England acquired the 13.35ha (33 acres) of the residential component of the site from East Kent Opportunities and Rosefarm Estates in March 2017 and is now looking to dispose of their interest to a residential developer. Further information is expected from Homes England in the autumn.


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Housing

Housing MarketThere were 24,473 property transactions in Kent (KCC area) during the calendar year 2018, and a further 3,951 in the Medway Unitary area. These figures are slightly lower than the previous year by -7.8% and -9.0% respectively. This pattern follows a general trend for slower sales during 2018. Transactions in England & Wales were down by -1.8% compared with 2017 and in the South East transactions were down by -4.8%.

Within Kent, Dartford is the only area to have seen an increase in property transactions in 2018 compared to 2017 with 55 more sales which equates to a 2.4% increase.

Kent remains good value for house buyers. The overall average property price in Kent during 2018 was £339,689. This is 14.8% lower than the average property price in the South East, (£379,717) but 9.7% higher than the average for England & Wales (£297,220).

The average house price at a county level masks a significant range in prices across Kent, with an average of £519,211 in Sevenoaks to £260,030 in Thanet. The average price in the Medway Unitary area was £264,526.

Based on the number of Energy Performance Certificates issued on new dwellings, during 2018 there were 7,394 new dwellings built across Kent. This a 3.6% increase on the 2017 total of 7,134.Sources: HM Land Registry Open Data Standard Reports Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG): Live table NB1

Housing Delivery Test (HDT) In February 2019, the first annual HDT results for councils were published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government based on the calculation:

Housing Delivery Test (%)

(Total net homes delivered over three year period.)

(Total number of homes required over three year period.)

Local Authorities are required to take specific action depending upon the result of their HDT calculation and until subsequent HDT results are published or new housing requirements are adopted:

• Pass (95%): No action required.

• Action Plan (>85%): LAs prepare an action plan identifying causes of under delivery and actions to increase this.

• 20% Land Buffer (>25%): LAs identify an additional deliverable land supply of 20%, equivalent to six years land supply over the next five years.

• Presumption in favour of sustainable development (<25%): Proposed developments should be granted permission unless the adverse impacts outweigh the benefits.

However, from November 2019, any councils with an HDT score below 45% will fall into ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’. By November 2020 this will apply to any LPA with a score of less than 75%.

Homes England The Homes England 2018-2019 Affordable Housing Programme (2015-18 and 2016-21) for Kent and Medway delivered 11 social rent starts and 38 completions, 578 affordable rent starts and 649 completions and 794 affordable home ownership starts and 623 completions.

Partnerships Homes England has announced strategic partnerships with 23 housing associations to deliver an additional 39,000 affordable homes across the country by March 2022 with £1.7bn funding. A number of these are actively developing in Kent.

Social Rent In June 2018 Government confirmed a total additional budget for Homes England of £1.67bn to deliver Social Rent in areas of high need, as well as tenures currently available through Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP).

An addendum to the SOAHP Prospectus has been published which provides a list of eligible areas including Kent.

The Prospectus remains the key document for SOAHP 2016 to 2021: its content stands unless explicitly amended (such as the January 2017 Addendum), and providers should ensure that they read the Prospectus alongside both Addendums and the Capital Funding Guide Bidding is through Continuous Market Engagement.

Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) Forward Fund On 4 July 2017, the Department for Communities and Local Government launched the £2.3 bn Housing Infrastructure Fund to unlock up to 100,000 new homes across the country. As part of the wider £23bn National Productivity Investment Fund, the HIF is aimed at providing grant funding to provide new homes in areas with the greatest need for housing, and fund vital physical infrastructure. The 2017 Autumn Budget announced a further £2.7bn to the HIF, taking the total investment to £5bn.

County and Unitary Authorities were invited to bid for up to £250m of funding. This element of the fund is intended to deliver a small number of high impact infrastructure schemes to give the market confidence to provide further investment and homes in an area. Homes England/MHCLG are assessing 2 HIF Forward Fund bids from Kent and Medway: Swale Borough – funding for key transport improvements necessary to support long term housing delivery. Medway/Hoo Peninsula – funding to significantly improve roads and rail connections as well as provide investment in local healthcare, schools, sports facilities and country parks.

An announcement on the outcome is expected later this year.

Marginal Viability FundNumerous housing sites all over the country are held



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back because the costs of putting in the infrastructure and building the homes are too great. For these types of development, the Government will provide the final, or missing, piece of infrastructure funding to get additional sites allocated or existing sites unblocked. Government expect the infrastructure to be built soon after schemes have been awarded funding and for the homes to follow at pace.

Several HIF Marginal Viability Fund bids were made by Kent Districts. Dover, Swale and Thanet were successful and are in contract negotiation:

Dover Dover Rapid Bus Transit £16.08mSwale Queenborough & Rushenden

Regeneration£5.18m

Thanet Manston/Haine Roundabout £5.80m

Small Sites FundSeveral applications have been received for small sites funding. Homes England will work with Local Authorities to provide grant funding to unlock these sites by 2021.

Local Authority Accelerated ConstructionOne site in Medway has successfully bid for funding and is in contract. Further bids in Kent are in due diligence stage.

Future High Streets FundAn additional 50 towns will now benefit from the £1billion Future High Streets Fund. This extension to those already shortlisted is in addition to the £3.6bn Towns Fund already announced in July, which included an extra £325m for the Future High Streets Fund, taking the overall Fund to £1bn as the Government looks to drive forward local growth. The scheme was launched in December 2018 and is a key part of the Government’s plan to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that drives economic growth and sustainably improves living standards.

Successful bids will enable towns to progress to the second phase of the Future High Streets Fund and receive up to £150,000 to support the development of detailed final project proposals that can then be submitted for capital funding. In Kent and Medway successful bids from local authorities in Dartford, Dover, Thanet (Ramsgate) and Medway (Chatham) have progressed to this second round phase.

Kent and Medway Housing Strategy Housing remains high on the agenda for the government, with continued commitment to accelerating housing growth and meeting the target of 300,000 new homes each year by the middle of 2020. To support this ambitious national delivery target government has published a range of policy announcements and provided funding opportunities that include:• Community Housing Fund of £163m• £125 m Care and Support Specialist Housing Fund to

develop new affordable homes to meet the needs of older people and disabled adults by 2020/21

• Move on Fund of £44m for capital expenditure to provide up to 879 beds for rough sleepers or those living in a refuge or hostel by 2021

• An updated Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme with continuous market engagement opportunities for a mix of tenures for schemes to achieve planning consent by March 2021

• The abolition of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Debt Cap and new HRA Borrowing prospectus.

The refresh of the Kent and Medway strategy is being developed and aligned to respond to the current challenges and opportunities at a strategic level, both nationally and locally. It will link to and reference documents such as the recently published Homes England Strategic Vision (20018 to 2023), the South East LEP Economic Strategy Statement (a bridging document whilst the Local Industrial Strategy is developed) and the Kent and Medway Growth and Infrastructure Framework. As additional strategy or policies, national or local, come forward Kent Housing Group (KHG) will reflect upon these for relevance to the emerging strategy.

The Kent & Medway Housing Strategy 2018-2023 will also aim to provide a platform for a shared approach and ambition to meet the county’s’ housing challenge including tenure, affordability and supported housing. It will be a document that can be used by a range of partners to lobby at local and national levels, to ensure that Kent and Medway can meet identified growth ambitions and ensure that communities benefit from homes and places where they wish to live and work. The success of the strategy will be the development of an all-encompassing document that is relevant to all providers of homes in Kent and Medway.

The refreshed strategy will:• Provide clarity on the major strategic housing challenges

facing Kent and Medway, identify common areas of concern and propose pragmatic solutions on issues where a Kent and Medway perspective could add value and contribute to delivery of local ambitions.

• Recognise that there is a great diversity of housing provision across Kent and Medway and that what is appropriate for one neighbourhood may not be right in another.

• Set out a menu of solutions to assist authorities in achieving their local aims, whilst supporting the collective objective to deliver an ambitious housing offer.

Kent Planning Protocol The Kent Developers Group, Kent Planning Officers Group and Kent Housing Group have continued to collaborate in the implementation of the countywide Planning Protocol to share best practice and assist with the delivery of the housing, employment and growth aspirations.

The planning process can be hugely complex and lengthy. The planning protocol seeks to make the process more efficient by enabling greater collaboration in the pre-application and planning application stages of the process through better communication and consistency.

The protocol has already been used to enable discussions between the districts and developers to address the growth agenda, whilst maintaining quality and delivering through open dialogue. As part of the protocol, the private and public sector are working together to address the skills that the industry needs to maintain an effective planning system and Kent colleges have responded to the need for more planners within the County.

Initially launched in 2017, following endorsement from politicians and officers in all planning authorities it has received a great deal of support. It confirms the commitment to the growth agenda and to the delivery of the housing numbers, commercial requirements and much needed infrastructure, in quality sustainable development. It is supported by Kent Highways, Homes England, The Environment Agency, Natural England, South East Local Enterprise Partnership and many other stakeholders and describes Kent’s approach to delivery requirements and working collaboratively to succeed.


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The Kent and Medway Planning Protocol is an important initiative, that reflects best practice and improvements to the planning system, delivering on our promises, but it requires regular review. There has been a great deal of partnership working with East Sussex and Essex to share best practice and helping them produce their own versions of the document and we are now about to engage with our stakeholders to refresh and develop an enhanced Kent and Medway Planning Protocol.

Ebbsfleet Garden CityEbbsfleet Garden City continues to go from strength to strength. So far, 1,700 homes have been completed – that means approximately 3627 residents are now calling Ebbsfleet Garden City their home. There are 15 active delivery partners working in the Garden City, delivering a whole range of homes from affordable to five-bedroom market sale homes.

Work has started on almost 600 homes by Keepmoat on the banks of the River Thames in Northfleet. Almost 40 per cent of these homes will be affordable.

Nearby, Berkeley will open its new modular homes factory which promises to be state-of-the-art and will produce a range of modular housing designed to a high specification and excellent build standards.

Redrow recently moved its south east headquarters to the Garden City, further strengthening the area’s reputation as a great place for business.

The Development Corporation’s planning committee approved design codes and masterplans for two villages which will complete the area formerly known as Eastern Quarry and now known as Whitecliffe. These will shape

street design, public realm and street planting and give clear guidance on the future look of Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation is also progressing its plans for a city centre which will be built around Ebbsfleet International Station and will provide significant employment opportunities. So far, the corporation has invested more than £100m into vital infrastructure such as a ground-breaking electricity deal which ensures a future supply to the area and early next year, the corporation will open Springhead Bridge, providing a vital link to residents of Springhead Park to the international train station.

Kent County Council PropertyKCC’s Infrastructure Team has an extensive and wide-ranging involvement in the county’s property market which helps support the local economy and provide employment opportunities across the county.

The county council needs sustainable and well-maintained infrastructure and assets. KCC has an ambitious capital programme to develop and deliver key infrastructure projects and explore alternative funding models, including land value capture. It aims to maximise value from its property portfolio, reinvesting receipts from disposal of surplus assets. Resource pressures necessitate the need to participate in increasingly competitive bidding for external funding and investment. In 2018-19, KCC completed over 30 major development projects totalling over £90m of capital spend, the majority of which was for schools.

Approximately £7.9m of land and property assets were realised from the KCC estate, principally for new housing development and employment generation. These receipts will be reinvested in the council’s capital development programme. The Disposals Team also work closely with partners such as the NHS in bringing forward schemes that deliver public benefit as well as generating reinvestment capital for KCC to invest in its services.

An example is surplus land in North Kent being considered for an exciting development with a GP facility. This will also release land for residential development. With the NHS in West Kent, and an adjoining private sector landowner, a comprehensive residential development incorporating a medical hub is being brought forward. Further projects in the pipeline include:

Maidstone East DevelopmentKent County Council acquired the 3.42acre former Royal Mail Sorting Office at 98 Sandling Road in 2016 with its 50/50 partner Maidstone Borough Council. The partners are developing a master plan to create a new urban quarter in the town centre opposite County Hall incorporating Network Rail land and the county Council’s Cantium House.

The vision is to provide around 500 new homes, over 800m² (8,611ft²) of retail floorspace and almost 5,500m² (59,201ft²) of office accommodation. The borough council’s aspirations are to relocate to the scheme once complete, possibly with other public service providers. Asset management of the site as part of a short-term holding strategy includes using it for parking and short-term lettings.

Maximising Returns through exploring partnership with the Private SectorThe County Council will seek private sector partner(s) to develop an innovative Property Delivery Model. It has substantial and diverse assets and is looking to explore their development (with or without service provision elements), maximising value and return to the Council. The strategic development partner(s) will work with KCC to identify opportunities from its land holdings. Detailed requirements are being developed and its intentions are to hold a series of market testing discussions with interested potential bidders. A Prior Information Notice was issued to potential development partners indicating KCC’s intent to go out to market in due course.

Live MargateLast year KCC reported on this coastal regeneration project. The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) supports the project through GPF funding working closely with its partner Thanet District Council. Kent County Council is keen to deliver appropriate residential accommodation onto the market in line with their No Use Empty (NUE) initiative. Part of phase one,12a Dalby Square was an award-winning example for multi-generational and environmentally sustainable living delivered through this project.

Javelin Way, Ashford The County Council has secured planning approval for the development of 29 commercial units as the enabling development, providing capital receipts to part-fund (with




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Arts Council England) the delivery of a Creative Laboratory/Dance Studio at Henwood Industrial Estate, Ashford.

Tunbridge Wells Cultural HubTunbridge Wells Borough Council and Kent County Council are working together to provide the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells with a Heritage, Cultural and Learning Hub. The vision for the hub is to create a building that provides an excellent visitor experience for all, high-quality architectural design, a destination building and acts as a catalyst for the regeneration of Tunbridge Wells as a cultural destination. The project will see the integration of the following services under one roof:• Museum Service• Libraries• Archives and Registration• Adult Education• Visitor Information • Gateway for Citizen Information Services

The site is in a prominent position in the centre of Tunbridge Wells and forms part of the Civic Complex. The existing Library & Museum building and the Adult Education Building are both Grade II listed. The brief for the project requires the buildings to be made fit for purpose. An area of new build is proposed to accommodate the requirements of the brief and to link the two buildings. Funding is coming from the Heritage Lottery and Arts Council England.

Education Capital ProgrammeEvery child deserves a first-class education and the County Council ensures that there are enough good school places for every child who needs one. KCC has an excellent track record of ensuring enough good school places, informed by our Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent (KCP), which is updated annually. The KCP sets out the principles by which we determine proposals, and it forecasts the need for future provision. It sets out how Kent County Council discharges its statutory responsibility to secure sufficient early years, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, primary and secondary places and to ensure that there are appropriate learning pathways for pupils post 16 years old. It is KCC’s responsibility to ensure that it has enough places in the right locations and at the right time to meet the demands of increased pupil numbers and parental preferences. This is an annual process, with a rolling

plan that informs the commissioning of education capital projects. The KCP 2019-23 identifies the need for additional permanent and temporary mainstream school and specialist places each year with the next two-year programme delivering £70m of investment. In addition, the County Council also works with the Department for Education to secure the local delivery of new free schools.

Kent Estates Partnership/One Public Estate The Kent Estates Partnership brings together public sector services from across the county with the aim of identifying opportunities to collaborate and deliver organisational synergy, employment and housing regeneration and key schemes. The Partnership was formed in 2016 with partners from Emergency Services, Health, Higher & Further Education and all levels of Government from across the

county. It works with the government’s established One Public Estate (OPE) programme to build a shared picture of the public sector estate in Kent.

So far, it has submitted bids to three OPE funding rounds, and has been successful in all. Funding of £703,000 is currently supporting eight collaborative projects in the county for feasibility and master planning work. These projects are forecast to deliver £35m in capital receipts, 1100 new homes, 3500 new jobs and £5.5m in savings. Less tangible benefits include improvements to the living, working and leisure environment across Kent. Its aims include increasing general health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, in local communities as well as improvements to community facilities, transport links and access to improved employment prospects.


Proposal for the EDGE Hub at Canterbury Christchurch University.

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No Use EmptyEconomic decline, recession and some of the lowest property values in the south east have led to a historical lack of investment in pockets of our coastal areas notably, Dover, Folkestone and Thanet. Wider regeneration initiatives continue to attract high profile investors and funding. This led to an increase in small and medium sized property developers looking to refurbish empty buildings and turn them into homes. However, in many cases severe dilapidation and an inability to access funding on the open market for renovation costs, left buildings empty.

No Use Empty (NUE) is now established as the longest running empty property initiative in the UK and will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2020. Bringing long-term empty properties back into use is a key method of driving regeneration, one which not only provides new homes but also new sources of employment and a sense of community.

NUE remains committed to reducing the numbers of long-term empty properties, returning in excess of 6,047 back into use since 2005 through a range of interventions. Delivered by Kent County Council in partnership with all 12 district councils it provides an exemplar model which can be replicated. The success factors are:• Planning and continuity• Dedicating resources,• Monitoring outcomes, • Adjusting delivery models to reflect current market

conditions • Providing financial assistance to owners • Securing short-term loans with repayments recycled for

new loans

NUE Residential Over the last 5 years the number of long-term vacant dwellings in Kent has fallen by 2.3%, nationally they increased by 0.1%. Long-term means those dwellings that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over six months.

Latest Council Tax records show there are a total of 17,223 vacant dwellings in Kent (KCC area) and a further 3,393 vacant dwellings in the Medway Unitary area. This figure includes all tenures (local authority, housing association and private sector); although many are privately owned. Within this total were 6,172 long term vacant dwellings in Kent and Medway (5,028 in Kent and 1,114 in the Medway Council area).

In the last year a total of five Kent districts saw a reduction in their respective long-term vacant dwellings, the biggest of which was seen in Dover recording a fall of 26.0% (52 fewer

than the year before). Folkestone & Hythe saw the biggest five-year reduction in long-term vacant dwellings recording a fall of 38.9% (298 fewer after 5 years).

Thanet district has the highest number of long-term vacant dwellings at 781. Maidstone district saw the biggest increase (43) in long-term vacant dwellings over the last year, recording a total of 485 long-term vacant dwellings.

NUE provides short term secured loans awarding £30.2m to date and levering in £30m from the public/private sectors, which have supported 1,013 units across Kent since the launch of the initiative. Average renovation cost to return a unit to occupation is £48,500, with the average County Council investment being £23,000.

Over £15.3m (51%) of funding advanced has already been repaid and recycled.




No Use Empty residential scheme: Dublin Mews, River, Dover.

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The combination of NUE loans and top-up loans (administered by NUE on behalf of the councils of Dover, Folkestone & Hythe and Tunbridge Wells) are designed to help developers to bridge the gap between pre/post refurbishment values by providing a loan which takes account of cost of works, which banks and other lenders will not do. Without this joined-up approach these properties would have remained empty. In addition to this, £2m of funds was allocated with a specific focus on Margate to help meet the increased demand to tackle some of the larger buildings which can be converted to provide much needed family homes.

NUE Commercial NUE’s primary focus has been on empty residential properties. However, over the years it has supported the conversion of vacant space above empty commercial units which have also been returned to use but not with loan support. In 2018 KCC secured an extra £1m for NUE to provide short term secured loans to return long term empty commercial properties (empty shops or small redundant workspace areas) to use for alternative commercial or mixed-use purposes, primarily in our coastal areas.

The Growing Places Fund (GPF) was established by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and administered through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. The aim of this funding is to unlock economic growth, create jobs and ‘kick-start’ house building at stalled development sites. Operating as a recyclable loan scheme it was the perfect match for NUE.

Under the NUE commercial banner a commitment has been made to return a minimum of eight commercial units and provide a minimum of 28 residential units by March 2022 with short term secured loan support. Twelve individual projects are currently funded in the districts of Dover, Folkestone and Hythe and Thanet.

NUE provided funding from its GPF allocation to finance a project in Folkestone: the transformation of a three-storey empty commercial unit of 252m² (2,712ft²) with basic ancillary storage above. Following planning permission, the ground floor is now operational as a beauty salon (creating 7 jobs) and the first and second floors provide two 3 bedroom apartments which are now let.

Going forward NUE continues to increase Council Tax receipts for local authorities throughout Kent, has attracted New Homes Bonus and is helping to generate new business rates through the NUE Commercial project. The initiative has created or safeguarded over 1,000 jobs and provided homes to more than 2,200 local people.

NUE have also introduced short term secured interest bearing loans to take forward smaller developments on redundant or vacant sites.

A loan of £600,000 was provided to Dublin Estates Ltd in December 2018 for the conversion and extension of a former public house to create three terraced dwellings, erection of three detached and a pair of semi-detached

dwellings, formation of vehicle crossovers, excavation works and landscaping. The project is near completion and two properties have already been sold. The NUE investment is due to be repaid on the sale of the third and fourth dwellings and will be recycled into a further project. Without the intervention of NUE, this site, which had remained empty for three years, would have taken much longer to develop into six new homes completed in just over a year.

Kent’s approach to tackling empty properties has been widely praised winning three national awards for Regeneration and Partnership Working. The County Council recently approved support for NUE to at least 2021-22. For more information: www.nue.org.uk


No Use Empty commercial scheme: Sandgate Road, Folkestone.

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Transportation

Local Growth FundIn 2014, the government announced planned investment of at least £12bn nationally to promote growth in local economies through a series of ‘Growth Deals’ to operate over six years from 2015/16. Known as Local Growth Funding (LGF) it would finance infrastructure and skills schemes to unlock housing growth and encourage job creation.

In March 2016, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced Round Three of Local Growth Funding (LGF3), worth £1.8b across England. The Government stipulated that the LGF3 funding would be allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) through a competitive bidding process. Of this South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) received £102m to help create jobs, support businesses and create new growth opportunities.

Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has called for all LEPs to ensure that any LGF underspend is re-invested in the most effective way. In response, SELEP devised the LGF3b process, whereby a pipeline of schemes was agreed to be funded as and when LGF underspend is available. For Kent, the following schemes will now be delivered: • Thanet Parkway Railway Station• M2 Junction 5, Stockbury• Kent and Medway Medical School, Canterbury

Kent County Council is responsible for the programme management of all 31 Local Growth Fund projects in Kent. There are, however, specific projects where third-party organisations are responsible for delivery.

Rail Projects Journey Time Improvement (JTI) schemePhase 1 of this scheme to improve the journey time between Ashford and Canterbury West is now completed. Following successful testing, the journey time benefits from this phase are now being enjoyed by passengers and are expected to be formally included in the December 2019 timetable. Design work is now underway for Phase 2 between Canterbury West and Ramsgate, with benefits due to be delivered by Dec 2021. This scheme will support economic growth in Thanet and is essential to support the delivery of the new Thanet Parkway station.

The Ashford Spurs ProjectThe main part of this project is now completed, with the delivery of the upgraded signalling system on the ‘Spurs’ which link Ashford International Station with High Speed One and officially opened by the Secretary of State for Transport in April 2018. The Local Growth Fund via SELEP is the primary source of funding and for the final work to deliver resolution of technical problems which have prevented the new Eurostar trains from serving Ashford International. This is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 after which full Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels will be restored. Kent County Council works in close partnership with Eurostar and has submitted a business case for an enhancement to the level of the Ashford – Brussels service once the Ashford Spurs project is completed.

Kent Route StudyKent County Council has responded to the consultation on the five yearly Kent Route Study undertaken by Network Rail. It sets out a range of options for funders for infrastructure enhancements required on Kent’s rail network between 2019 and 2024. This study also recognised the significant increase in demand at Ebbsfleet station from planned housing growth in Ebbsfleet Garden City.

South Eastern New Rail FranchiseKent County Council responded to the Department for Transport’s consultation on the new South Eastern franchise for the Kent and Medway area. This has again been delayed with the existing operator granted an award to continue operating the franchise until April 2020. The county council included a wide-ranging list of proposed service enhancements for a new franchise. This included responses

from the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership to reflect business and further education interests in the county.

ThameslinkTwo new services have been scheduled to serve Kent and Medway. One commenced in May 2018 and has replaced the existing Southeastern service between Rainham/Gillingham and London. The other was due to commence in December 2019 but the Department for Transport has now confirmed that this new service will be deferred for a fourth time to a future unknown date. This additional route links Maidstone East, West Malling (for Kings Hill), Borough Green & Wrotham, Otford and Swanley with London Bridge and other City stations, then north to Cambridge.

Ebbsfleet Garden CityThe existing High Speed One from Ebbsfleet cannot meet the projected demand from the planned housing growth in the new garden city. All peak-time high speed services via Ebbsfleet are at capacity and it is often impossible to get a seat in off- peak periods. This is a major issue to be addressed by other rail infrastructure. The current level of service, itself constrained by the terminal capacity for High Speed One at St Pancras, will not meet projected population growth in Ebbsfleet.

Crossrail ExtensionThe planned opening of Crossrail 1 (Elizabeth Line) to Abbey Wood has been postponed until at least 2021. Local authorities are jointly considering, with Transport for London and the Greater London Authority, the options for a future extension of Crossrail to Ebbsfleet. The outline business case for this concept was presented to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in December 2018. Funding of £4.85m has been offered by Government towards the further development of this business case. If there were government approval for a future extension to Crossrail 1 this would be key to delivering additional rail capacity required for Ebbsfleet Garden City and north-west Kent.

Sandwich StationKent County Council is the lead authority for the Sandwich Station capacity upgrade project with funding now secured. Network Rail will deliver the project with two platform extensions, new footbridge, access path and steps. This creates additional capacity for rail travellers to The Open in July 2020 and all future golf events at Sandwich.



47Kent Property Market Report 2019

Thanet ParkwayKent County Council is seeking to deliver Thanet Parkway, a new railway station near Cliffsend. The aim is to significantly improve rail access to London for local communities and developments at Discovery Park and Manston business parks and should see journey times to London (Stratford International) of around an hour and London St Pancras at around 70 minutes.

Lower Thames CrossingThe Lower Thames Crossing is anticipated to be the largest road project since construction of the M25. Providing additional capacity between Essex and Kent it will not only assist in easing congestion at the existing Dartford Crossing but will also create a new strategic route from the Channel Ports to the Midlands and the North.

Highways England continue to develop their proposals for a bored tunnel under the River Thames east of Tilbury and Gravesend, to connect the A2 with the A13 and M25 at Junction 29. A ten week statutory public consultation was held in the autumn of 2018 and received a record-breaking 28,493 responses. This feedback is in the process of being considered and the County Council continue to work closely alongside Highways England to ensure the best possible outcome for Kent’s residents, businesses and visitors. The submission of a Development Consent Order application has been postponed until Summer 2020 to enable revisions to the design following consultation feedback, although the planned opening year remains as 2027.

Operation Brock / Operation StackOperation Brock was introduced as a measure to queue freight vehicles on approach to Channel ports as a result of potential border and customs checks if the UK were to leave the EU without a deal. It consists of a contraflow on the M20 between junctions 8-9 London-bound enabling 2-way flows while the coastbound carriageway is used to queue port-bound freight vehicles. Brock is part of a multi-agency plan that also includes the Dover Traffic Access Protocol on the A20, the use of the runway at Manston Airport and also the M26 in a worst-case scenario for queuing additional vehicles if required.

Overnight Lorry ParkingKent County Council has been working with the private sector to promote the idea of a network of overnight lorry

parks across the county. Ashford International Truckstop has expanded and relocated its overnight lorry park now with capacity to for 600 HGVs. The county council is also working with the Department for Transport, district councils and Kent Police on stronger enforcement action against illegal lorry parking to address problems of inappropriate lorry parking across Kent.

Local Transport Plan Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth Without Gridlock 2016 – 2031 was adopted by Kent County Council in July 2017. This plan aims to deliver transport priorities for Kent which will contribute to a safe and efficient transport system.

Transport for the South East (TfSE)There is a newly emerging Sub-national Transport Body (STB) named Transport for the South East (TfSE). It consists of Kent, Medway, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Brighton & Hove, Southampton, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, the Berkshire authorities plus the five Local Enterprise Partnerships within this area. Its development has progressed with a consultation on a draft proposal to government for TfSE to become a statutory body and later

in 2019 will consult on a draft transport strategy for the South East. TfSE is already making the case to government for investment in rail and the Strategic Road Network by submitting priorities for the next Road Investment Strategy (RIS). In Kent, RIS priorities include the new Lower Thames Crossing and its required wider network improvements. Examples include: improving the connection at M2 Junction 3 with the M20 at Junction 6 via the A229 (Bluebell Hill), improvements to the M2/A2 corridor with an upgrade of Junction 7 (Brenley Corner) and completion of the dualling of the A2 from Lydden to Dover. Government is expected to announced its priorities for the next RIS in late 2019. TfSE have also been asked by the Department for Transport to submit priorities for the Major Road Network (MRN), a new category of road announced by government in December 2018 for the most important A roads. In Kent, schemes that are in the ‘Top 10’ list for funding in the South East MRN include: improvements to the A249 at M2 Junction 5 (Stockbury) to ensure this Highways England RIS scheme, essential to the Swale Local Plan, is delivered. Also a new relief road for the A28 around Birchington, Westgate and Acol which will enable growth in the Thanet Local Plan.

Proposal for the new Thanet Parkway rail station near Cliffsend.

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