Minutes:
“The Medway Messenger reported on the 20th March of the problems of Chatham Town Centre - do you feel Chatham Town Centre has got better or worse in the last 10 years?”
Councillor Chitty stated that Medway Council continued to support Chatham Town Centre, investing in regeneration projects and encouraging privately funded development that would boost the economy and benefit local residents including:
· A major programme of road and public realm improvements, including the new Bus Station, strengthening the links between the shopping core and previously under used waterfront areas.
· A new ‘Big Screen’ at Chatham Waterfront, the first phase of wider regeneration plans for the waterfront area.
· A new pontoon for Sun Pier, providing public access to the riverfront.
· Environmental improvements to the riverside walk between Gun Wharf and Staples.
· Investment in workspaces along the ‘Lower High Street’, fast becoming a hub for creative industries.
· Free access to recruitment support services through Employ Medway.
· Supporting the Chatham Town Centre Forum.
The current retail vacancy rate for Chatham was 12% against the national average of 13.9%. The High Street continued to hold its own with Primark, TK Maxx and Wilkinson’s having moved in over the last five years.
The Council had also worked with public and private sector partners to secure investment in Chatham. MHS Homes, Golding Homes and Orbit Homes had all shown confidence in the regeneration of Chatham by choosing to develop the new Theatre Quarter, Empire Reach and Admirals Place.
The Council would continue to invest in Chatham Town Centre to build on the success of the last 10 years and had successfully bid for £3million of Growing Places Funding and £4million of Local Growth Fund through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. A major investment in public realm improvements between the Town Centre and Chatham Station would be delivered in 2017.
The Council would also be bringing forward the Chatham Waterfront site, delivering a new quarter of residential, leisure and cultural uses, opening up access to the waterfront and retail core.
Supplementary question
Mr Jones stated that one particular way to help Chatham Centre and the surrounding areas of social deprivation which Councillor Chitty had mentioned was to strengthen small business presence in the area. The closure of Varley’s Electricals showed that not all the recent store closures had been large stores. What specific plans did the Cabinet have to encourage SMEs to set up and remain in the area?
Councillor Chitty stated that areas of social deprivation had certainly been a very major part of what had been undertaken over the last ten years and drew attention to the significant European funding that had been achieved and this had gone directly into areas of social deprivation. Many of these areas did not consider themselves to be areas of social deprivation but only having certain problems which need to be addressed and the European funding had been significant in that respect.
She stated with reference to small businesses, Chatham Town Centre Forum was absolutely pivotal in which small businesses had the opportunity to work with the Council and had done so very successfully in addressing some of these issues.
Note: At the expiry of 30 minutes, the Mayor announced that the remaining questions (questions N-Q as set out in the public questions report) would receive a written response.