Issue - meetings

MDC Phase 2 Sites

 

 

Meeting: 30/06/2026 - Cabinet (Item 12)

12 Medway Development Company (MDC) Phase 2 Sites pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Minutes:

Background:

The report sought an addition of £1.8m to the Council’s revenue budget to progress planning applications in respect of Medway Development Company’s (MDC) phase 2 development sites and a delegation to the Director of Place to award planning submission grants to MDC.

 

Working in partnership with the Council, MDC had secured £34.5m in grant funding to support the delivery of brownfield sites. Grant funding was essential to enable early works such as demolition, remediation and infrastructure, without which schemes would be unviable. Securing planning permissions strengthened grant applications and was critical to bringing phase 2 sites forward for development.

 

Exempt Appendices contained the Phase 2 Business Case and Risk Register.

Decision

number: 

Decision:

 

101/2026

The Cabinet noted the report and agreed to recommend to Full Council the addition of £1.8m to the Council’s revenue budget to progress planning applications in respect of Medway Development Company’s phase 2 development sites, whilst also noting the flexibility to apply the funding to alternative sites that may be added to the programme (Appendix 1). The budget was to be funded from capital receipts under flexibilities granted by the Government.

102/2026

The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Homelessness, to award planning submission grants to Medway Development Company, subject to an outline Business Case.

Reasons:

The proposal will enable the Council to continue its regeneration programme by bringing forward complex brownfield sites that would not otherwise progress. The Exempt Appendix 1 to the report, sets out a full Business Case for each site demonstrating that grant funding is required to unlock the delivery of each scheme. Securing planning permission will significantly strengthen MDC’s ability to secure grant funding.