The project will support growth through the provision of additional high quality homes, commercial space and market space, while also improving sustainable transport through the replacement of the Sun Pier Pontoon enabling the establishment of a river taxi service.

The project will deliver land assembly, flood mitigation and the creation of public space which is required to enable the development of proposals for Chatham Waterfront Development, including the construction of 159 new homes and 3,381 sqm of commercial space (Classes A1-A5, B1a and D1). The scheme will de-risk two key mixed use riverfront development sites; one vacant plot of 1.28 acres and one of 0.90 acres, through the provision of flood mitigation measures, linked to the provision of a strategic river walk link between Sun Pier and Chatham High Street.

The project will deliver strategic links between Chatham Town Centre and a high quality river path with works including the refurbishment of Sun Pier including a state of the art café/restaurant; the replacement of the Sun Pier pontoon thereby enabling a river taxi service, and the refurbishment of a section of the historic Gun Wharf into a community facility. Whilst the project will directly enable the redevelopment of three key strategic sites the improved flood defences, including the integrated river wall, have a much wider significance for the rest of Chatham town centre by significantly reducing flood risk.

Growing Places Fund

The Growing Places Fund (GPF) was established by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government) and the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2011. The aim of this funding is to unlock economic growth, create jobs and ‘kick-start’ house building at stalled development sites.