Robert Marshall-Andrews

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The best news for 10 years

"Making it Happen Here in Medway and The Thames Gateway"

Less than six months after the publication of the Sustainable Communities Plan the Government is carrying forward its commitment to delivering housing and growth in the Thames Gateway.

The focus is on creating sustainable communities, increasing the supply of affordable housing and achieving more balanced growth. Concentrating housing and growth on brownfield sites thus avoiding pepper pot development and protecting the countryside. Ensuring that the schools, university campuses and hospitals are in place and that all areas are protected from flooding.

Here in Medway the Government has today earmarked £46.6m for regeneration and land reclamation.

• Rochester Riverside, £28.5m: Mixed-use regeneration of a riverside site, enabled by the use of CPO powers, creating a new quarter of Rochester including improved access to Rochester Rail Station. Project to include flood defences, land raising and decontamination.

• Transport for Medway, £1.0m: Integrated land-use transportation studies in preparation for major scheme LTP bid for public transport necessary to service the growth of Medway.

• Universities at Medway, £15.0m: University of Medway will be created out of partnership between University of Greenwich (UoG), University of Kent (UoK) and Mid-Kent College (MKC); New build on brownfield land / Refurbishment of unused properties/Equipping new academic schools. The Universities at Medway project will establish Medway as an attractive university town creating new academic Schools of Pharmacy, Urban Renaissance and European Business. These reflect the skill priorities of North Kent/Medway and SEEDA. A new learning resource centre will also be built which will be open to the general public.

• Medway Renaissance Partnership, £2.0m: Medway Renaissance Partnership (MRP) established as a local delivery mechanism to implement the Sustainable Communities Plan in Medway.

Bob Marshall-Andrews, Medway's Labour MP, said: "This is the best news for the Medway Towns in the last 10 years. It will enable the long overdue reconstruction and renaissance of Rochester and Chatham riversides that will provide a real centre for the second city of the South East.

"It will bring a real and substantial increase in both employment and prosperity. It will also mark the successful end of the wise process of investment in riverside land made by the then Labour controlled Rochester upon Medway City Council, 1991 to 1998."