Green light for £50 million Medway scheme

The development represents a significant investment in Kent’s infrastructure, including a new stretch of road, a road bridge and a rail bridge over the River Medway to link the A228 on the west bank to the proposed Peters Village site on the east bank. It will also provide up to 1,000 new homes at Peters Village - at least a quarter being affordable homes.

The extensive highway improvements will significantly improve access to both sides of the River Medway, bringing local communities access to wider benefits such as employment opportunities, schools, shopping, recreation and housing.

Trenport (Peters Village) Ltd will oversee the development and delivery of the whole project, due for completion around 2022, and has named BAM Nuttall as the project's main contractor. The heart of the scheme is the former Peters Lime and Cement Works, once one of the largest chalk quarrying operations in the area. At its peak, it employed 1,000 people and operated 80 barges.

After it fell into disuse, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's Local Plan identified the works as a brown¬field site ideal for residential development. Trenport's proposals for the new village and bridge were approved in 2006, only to be postponed by the dramatic economic downturn.

But Trenport Director Chris Hall said: ‘We are delighted to be able to move forward with this ambitious and imaginative project, which will transform a once industrialised, yet important part of the Medway Valley. We have been sensitive and responsible custodians of the land in the meantime, but the moment is now right for the area to fulfi¬l its promise.’

Heather Stoner, Area Manager for the HCA in Tonbridge and Malling said: ‘The Government funding is the cash injection this project needs. It’s an important development, which will not only provide the necessary infrastructure, but also homes and access to more opportunities through a better crossing over the River Medway. We look forward to seeing progress.’

Further information:

• Shirley Boards: shirley.boards@trenport.co.uk or Steve Loader: stevejohnloader@gmail.com;
• HCA: Emma Drake: emma.drake@hca.gsi.gov.uk

Medway Valley Crossing and Peters Village target timeline:

• May 2014: In advance of all major infrastructure works will be ecological and archaeological investigations to minimise any damage in these sensitive fields. Completed July 2015.
• May 2014: Site compound and offices established.
• June 2014: Construction starts on east Bank highway works, notably realignment of Court Road, Burham – house building cannot start until completion of certain road improvements. Completed June 2015.
• June 2014: Work will start on a year long installation of new water, electricity and gas services, linking into neighbouring networks. Completed August 2016.
• June 2014: Major groundworks and earthmoving for Peters Village area itself starts, plus rebuilding of river wall defences and construction of internal site roads. Completed July 2015.
• August 2014: Work begins on the new Medway Valley Crossing, including road and rail bridges, with the former linking to the existing A228 roundabout between Snodland and Halling and open to traffic by August 2016.
• July 2015: Construction of first houses due to start – expected to continue until 2022.

Other useful facts

• The net area of development is approximately 35.05 hectares (86.61 acres) of which 11.1 hectares (27.3 acres) is set aside as public open space.
• The development will be mostly low rise, though some in the village centre next to the river will include buildings to a maximum of 4/5 storeys high, while the lower platform in the quarry and along Hall Road will include the occasional 'landmark' building at 3/4 storeys.
• A new local centre next to the river will include: community centre, medical centre, shop, public house and employment units.
• This wide-ranging project also includes: a new primary school, new areas of open space and playing fields, a new riverside walk, plus the protection and management of the Peters Pit nature reserve.

For further details and visuals please visit http://www.trenport.co.uk

The Homes and Communities Agency is the single, national housing, land and regeneration delivery agency for England, and the Regulator of Social Housing Providers. Our vision is to:

• create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas; and
• focus on governance, financial viability and value for money as the basis for robust economic regulation that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer.

Local Infrastructure Fund (LIF) To date, the Local Infrastructure Fund has provided support to deliver the infrastructure needed to boost Enterprise Zone schemes and accelerate locally-supported large scale housing developments.

For more information: http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/ourwork/local-infrastructure-fund

BAM Nuttall has a rich heritage within the civil engineering market and been responsible for transforming UK infrastructure with the completion of many high profile projects. As a business, the company focuses purely on civil engineering and its priority is to use their own resources whenever possible to deliver best value projects to customers. The company is involved in all aspects of civil engineering including: rail, nuclear, aviation, highway maintenance, maritime and environmental engineering, energy and geotechnical services.