The promised rebuilding of Chatham rail station as the transport hub of the new City of Medway will be – a temporary commuter car park.

That’s all Network Rail is prepared to provide at present.

Months of discussions by Medway Council and government regenerators planning the transformation of Medway have so far met a brick wall from the train investor.

The news was greeted with dismay at a meeting of Medway Renaissance board at Gun Wharf. “It’s a case of let’s have the cheapest solution we can get,” said board member Alan Cherry, chairman of Countryside Properties.

Chatham station has been earmarked by the redevelopers as the gateway to the commercial city centre at the heart of the 80 square mile regeneration of the East Thames corridors.

Wendy Mesher, one of the leading managers in the multi-billion regeneration of Medway, broke the news at the board’s bimonthly meeting.

“We are having a series of meetings with Network Rail on stations, investment and required work, but the best that we see for Chatham is a temporary two-deck commuter car park.”

Simon Green, from the Local Strategic Partnership, said:

“It sounds like they are proposing some scaffolding.

“Chatham station has always been in winterland, but are there no plans to make into a wel-

coming place?”

John Finlayson (Medway Renaissance) said: “We are trying to persuade Network Rail to see the bigger picture, but Chatham is not somewhere they can do a significant amount of property investment.”

Jonathan Martin (English Partnerships) was not optimistic. He said Network Rail was giving Chatham station “very reserved status”, even though it was possible to show them the increased business that the city centre would attract.