The Government has announced that all Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including SEEDA, will close by 31 March 2012.
Responsibility for economic development and regeneration in England is being passed onto successor bodies, including Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and central Government departments
Our objective is to ensure a professional and cost effective closure by this date. We have pledged to work closely with our partners, contractors and stakeholders to ensure that the past and future economic benefits of key programmes and assets continue to deliver the greatest economic value for the South East and value for money for the taxpayer.
Please click here for more details about our closure plan, transition arrangements and successor organisations.
In action: Kent and Medway: Thames Gateway: Queenborough & Rushenden
Queenborough & Rushenden comprises 161 hectares of land and buildings on both sides of Queenborough Creek, the existing residential and business communities at Rushenden and the employment land at Neats Court.
The Island has a long history of industry and maritime activity, with Queenborough being the oldest town on the Island. Sheerness remains to this day an active port. However, the area has seen a steep decline for many years and a combination of poor transport connections and declining employment has resulted in a high degree of deprivation. Despite this, the area benefits from a rich history, an attractive setting and a great deal of unlocked potential.
On recognising the need for significant and co-ordinated change, local and regional partners from the public sector have joined forces in forming the Queenborough & Rushenden Regeneration Project to deliver change. The partnership, which includes representatives from Swale Borough Council, Kent County Council, Swale Forward, Amicus-Horizon, Queenborough Town Council and representatives from the local community, is providing a co-ordinated approach to achieving the physical, environmental, economic and social regeneration of the area.
Communities and Local Government (CLG), through its Sustainable Communities Plan, and SEEDA have already invested over £12million in the area, assisting the initial stages of this much-needed redevelopment. This cash injection has enabled the development of an Area Action Plan (Development Framework), the completion of a masterplan and the acquisition of a number of strategic properties which will later be used for development.
The Masterplan
The masterplan for Queenborough & Rushenden represents an “exemplar for other masterplanning projects in the Thames Gateway” (South East Regional Design Panel May 2006).
The process leading to the masterplan and supporting documentation has been lengthy but necessary and has included many design and technical studies. A key element of the process has been the intensive community consultation in the form of “Planning for Real™” that has happened at all stages. A Green Charter and Arts strategy will ensure that the development addresses all aspects of sustainability as well as using art to act as the “glue” that binds the community together with its surrounding landscape.
The masterplan sets out a comprehensive approach to regenerating Queenborough & Rushenden. It involves harnessing the strengths of the place; its setting, history and people, and combining with them physical proposals for housing, employment, community facilities and recreation. The masterplan will create a place with a strong identity that will help to put the area on the map.
The ‘vision’ for the masterplan creates a mixed-use development with the potential to support:
- Up to 2,000 new homes, split 50/50 between family housing and apartments, rated as Code Level 4 increasing to zero carbon
- Up to 180,000 sq m of new employment space with the ability to support over 1,000 new jobs
- Up to 20 hectares of brownfield land remediated
- 180 berth Marina and community water space facility
- Improved public realm
- Provision of new Community/Educational Facilities
- 1.5km of new strategic infrastructure
- Development of a Combined Heat & Power Plant (CHP).
The masterplan is now with Swale Borough Council who is going through the statutory adoption process.
Key Achievements
The regeneration programme has now moved forward into the implementation phase. Key milestones have recently been achieved including:
- The Crown Estate and SEEDA secured LXB Retail Properties Plc to develop a mixed-use scheme on the Neats Court site
- Works on the site in preparation for Neats Court are nearing completion
- The new Rushenden Link Road contract has been awarded by Kent County Council to Birse Civils with work started on site in June 2009 and was opened on 25th November 2011. This project benefited from a £13million funding package from CLG
- Submission of the masterplan for adoption by Swale Borough Council.
For further information please contact the Homes & Communties Agency
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