Medway City Estate Connectivity Improvement Measures

This project delivers commuter link improvements to the Medway City Estate, the central commercial and industrial area of Medway, resulting in shorter commuter times for the 5,000 people (approximately) who work on the estate and instigating greener, more efficient modes of transport to the estate. The project will deliver traffic and modal shift improvements, targeted at reducing congestion experienced by visitors and employees using the estate.  Phase 1 of the project will focus on traffic improvements and will deliver works designed to improve the flow of traffic on Medway City Estate, particularly during the evening peak.  Phase 2 of the project will include the delivery of infrastructure for a river taxi to support better links with Chatham town centre and other sustainable modes of travel.  It is expected that this infrastructure will support modal shift of up to 500 people, thereby also contributing to improving the traffic flow on Medway City Estate. The benefits of this scheme are expected to include:

• reduced congestion on the estate;
• increased numbers of pedestrians and cyclists due to the improved environment;
• improved access to Chatham town centre; and
• increased use of public transport.

Project update

A project update was considered by Accountability Board on 7th June 2019 in line with the requirement for all high risk projects to be considered by the Board before the end of June 2019. It was noted that Phase 1 of the project was delivered by the end of the 2016/17 financial year.  Phase 1 of the project involved the installation of manually controlled traffic signals to regularise traffic flows to enable easier exit from Medway City Estate, provision of a web based CCTV system allowing staff to see the extent of congestion prior to leaving business premises therefore enabling informed decisions as to when to depart work, and an extension of existing exit lanes to facilitate easier traffic movements out of Medway City Estate. Following consultation with both business owners and users of Medway City Estate, Medway Council concluded that there was limited support for the proposed sustainable travel elements which were initially included within Phase 2 of the project.  As a result, the project update outlined an intention to change the scope of Phase 2 of the project.  It was proposed that Phase 2 of the project will now consist of transport focussed interventions, which will directly tackle the existing congestion, rather than addressing the congestion issues through promoting modal shift. Accountability Board agreed that a Business Case setting out the revised scope of Phase 2 of the project must be brought forward for consideration at the September 2019 Board meeting. In line with the Board decision, a revised Business Case for the project was presented to Accountability Board on 13th September 2019.  The Business Case set out the revised scope of Phase 2 of the project and provided an updated project budget. Phase 2 of the project will now deliver a free flow slip road, from Medway City Estate onto Berwick Way. It is expected that this slip road will address congestion issues experienced in the evening peak as vehicles leave Medway City Estate, whilst also tackling safety issues at the Anthonys Way roundabout. Accountability Board approved the change of scope for Phase 2 of the Project.

£579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

In total the SELEP Growth Deal with Government has brought £579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock. Over the lifetime of the Growth Deal (2015-2021) we aim to deliver 78,000 jobs and 29,000 homes across the SELEP area, with the Deal set to attract a further £960m of investment into the South East over the six year period.

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