Government officials visited a riverside town to find out about its potential after it was awarded a share of a multi-million-pound fund to help its regeneration.

It was announced on November 20 that Gravesham will receive £20 million from round three of the Levelling Up Fund towards the development of St George's Square.

It is also hoped the funding will help bridge some of the health and wellbeing inequalities in the borough.

After the announcement, the leader of the council, Cllr John Burden, joined government officials on a river trip with Uber Boats by Thames Clipper from the capital to Gravesend Town Pier to highlight the challenges the borough faces as a priority one area for levelling up.

He said: “To those who live and work in London and further afield, think of Gravesend and you probably think of a town in the prosperous southeast; in Kent, the Garden of England, with its rolling Downs, fields, and wealthy towns and villages.

“And yes, parts of Gravesham are just like that, particularly to the south of our borough. But as our guests discovered today, our urban wards in Gravesend and Northfleet are among the most deprived, not just in Kent, or the southeast, but in the country.

“In a borough covering an area of just 38 square miles, we are faced with some of the starkest health and lifestyle inequalities in the country.

“I hope having visited, our guests recognised that together we can make a real difference to a community that deserves support.”

Those on the trip included representatives from the government’s Levelling Up department, chairman of the Thames Estuary Growth Board Kate Willard, Homes England representative Shona Johnstone, and chief executive officer of Uber Boat Sean Collins, amongst others.

They toured the town, taking in key regeneration and cultural sites, and heard how their support could help accelerate regeneration plans such as Albion Waterside, Clifton Slipways, and Northfleet Harbourside.

Cllr Burden added: “The successful delivery of these key regeneration projects is vital for the borough.”