Issue - meetings
Property Review and Future Management of Heritage Sites
Meeting: 13/01/2026 - Cabinet (Item 13)
13 Property Review and Future Management of Heritage Sites 
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Additional documents:
Minutes:
Background:
The report informed the Cabinet of the outcome of the consultation with English Heritage in respect of Upnor Castle which had been agreed by Cabinet on 11 March 2025, and made recommendations about the future of Temple Manor, Rochester Castle, and Upnor Castle.
An Exempt Appendix to the report provided further information in respect of financial information in respect of the three heritage properties.
A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.
The report had been published separately to the main agenda in Cabinet Supplementary Agenda No.1. The Cabinet agreed to accept this report as an urgent item because it was necessary to seek approval to the proposals at the earliest opportunity to ensure that the timelines set out in section 5 of the report, could be met.
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Decision number: |
Decision:
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10/2026 |
The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Place to renew the Local Management Agreement in respect of Rochester Castle ensuring that Rochester Castle would remain under the management of Medway Council. |
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11/2026 |
The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Place to make the necessary arrangements to hand back Upnor Castle and Temple Manor to English Heritage, including terminating the Local Management Agreement in respect of the two assets, so that English Heritage took on the full management. |
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12/2026 |
The Cabinet authorised the Council’s legal department to conclude the resultant contractual documents. |
Reasons:
To reduce running costs, to generate a capital receipt, to bring Temple Manor into more intensive use and to hand back Upnor Castle to English Heritage, which is better placed to manage this property.