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Councillors have approved preliminary plans to spend millions on a town centre revamp as part of their ambition to win city status.
Medway cabinet members gave the green light for initial plans totalling £9.5 million, which includes a proposal to acquire an undisclosed number of properties in Chatham.
The council previously submitted its bid for the money, setting out possible options to the Ministry for Homes, Communities and Local Government (MCHLG).
The £9.5m is now included in the council's capital spending plan which was discussed during Tuesday's cabinet meeting and includes:
– £500,000 for the "transformation of the first floor of the Pentagon centre";
– £300,000 on the creation of a "flexible working space to support the creative sector" at the Brook Theatre;
– £1.7m to create Innovation Hub Medway in the Pentagon providing up to 760sq m of work space;
– £1m at St John's Church as a "strategic gateway" and to convert the church into "a co-working, conference and events hub";
– £2.7m on a "new city square, civic hub and recreational space" to connect the Pentagon and Brook to the High Street;
– £875,000 on a project team to deliver the capital scheme
The council is also setting aside more than £2.4m for "property acquisition and delivery" for investment into a "ground floor anchor for the High Street", which could potentially be the vacant Debenhams store which closed in January last year.
During the meeting, Cllr Adrian Gulvin (Con), portfolio holder for resources, said: "The Future High Street Fund gives us a further opportunity to invest in Chatham, with several projects to enhance the public realm and improve buildings in the city centre as to progress the area's regeneration.
"It also gives us the opportunity to acquire a prominent building that has been disused."
Cllr Gulvin explained cabinet's agreement would only allow them to investigate options on how the money would be spent and how a business case would need to be created in order to reach a final decision.
Council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett (Con) thought the money would further the council's ambition to make Chatham a city centre; in June, the council announced its intention to enter a competition to win the city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations next year.
He said: "We are fortunate in as much as Medway Council owns substantial property in Chatham town centre – Medway City centre – and indeed, is set on acquiring more when the opportunity presents itself."
