Part of the county is set to receive a share of £200 million to invest in its heritage.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has launched a 10-year investment initiative and has chosen Medway as one of nine places to receive part of the pot.

It hopes it will help the Towns transform the area’s heritage through different projects and collaborations and address issues such as regeneration, sustainability and employment.

Medway Council's portfolio holder for heritage, culture and leisure, Cllr Harinder Mahil (Lab), said: “We are over the moon that Medway has been selected as one of the nine Heritage Places to benefit from The National Lottery Heritage funding.

“We are immensely proud of Medway’s rich heritage and are convinced of the power of investment in heritage to lead to extraordinary change, with a prime example being the cultural regeneration that transformed the former site of the Chatham Dockyard since its closure in 1984 as well as the significant restoration and heritage engagement work underway in historic Chatham Intra.

“As well as further enhancements to Medway’s heritage, we want to use this opportunity to engage Medway’s communities, breaking down barriers, encouraging them to celebrate their stories and helping them have a meaningful and long-lasting impact on their surroundings and the future history of Medway.

“We look forward to working with the Heritage Fund and with communities across Medway to maximise the benefits arising from this hugely important initiative.”

Details on how much money and what it will be spent on have not yet been revealed but a decision is expected early next year.

Director at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Stuart McLeod said: “We believe in the power of heritage to create positive and lasting change, now and in the future. We also believe that working at scale in an area can deliver a profound impact on its local community, visitors and economy.

“That is why we are thrilled to announce Medway as one of our chosen Heritage Places. This will see a sustained and targeted 10-year investment in heritage that has the potential to be transformational for the Medway towns.”

Other Heritage Places across the UK include County Durham, Glasgow, Leicester and Stoke-on-Trent.

Last week, KentOnline reported St John's Church in Chatham was one of 12 historic buildings in the country to receive a slice of the Heritage Fund’s £12.2m handout.

It will be used to help restore it as a thriving place of worship and community hub.