8 hours ago
Chatham Docks residential plan outlined in council's local plan
A controversial project to build 2,200 homes at Chatham Docks has been outlined in Medway Council's local draft document, published on Thursday, also details the council's intention to build 690 homes on enterprise zone Medway City Estate and over 1,000 homes on what previously was green belt land on the outskirts of Strood. The Chatham Waters residential-led development plan has been campaigned against by the group Save Chatham Docks since it was approved in November, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Councillors will discuss the proposals at a special full council meeting on 26 June and vote on whether to put it out to the public to get their views.
Chatham Docks is owned by Peel Waters, which has intentions for regeneration of the site through redevelopment, but this has faced major opposition from the Save Chatham Docks campaign, supported by former Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst.
Housing targets
Medway City Estate will also see major changes as it is to become the Frindsbury Peninsula Opportunity Area (FPOA), meaning approximately 690 homes are to be draft Local Plan believes the high occupancy by businesses in the estate is only because there are a lack of alternative would mean an almost total change to the site since it began in the 1980s, when it was created as an enterprise zone.
Elsewhere, the Capstone Valley is another location allocated for residential-led development across four sites, totalling up to 3,938 will also see changes to the green belt boundary, as the government's new 'grey belt' designation comes into to 1,280 would be allowed across three sites on the edge of Strood on what was previously green belt land, should this version of the Local Plan be approved.
As part of national housing targets, Medway council is required to provide 1,636 homes a year until council's planning department budget increased by £320,000 to cover the anticipated cost for the preparation of the Local Plan and it received a £227,962.50 grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in March 2025.
