| Investment and Regeneration 
Backing Kent 
Business 
In the last 20 years, Kent has seen phenomenal change and growth. Kent County Council is making sure the county becomes an even 
better place to live, work and visit.

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Kent has a unique position in the UK Ð surrounded by coast, next to London and at the gateway to Europe 
The changing face of Kent 

Kent is changing. There are now 100,000 more people living in the county than 20 years ago, with 60,000 more homes and 130,000 more cars on KentÕs roads. Forecasts predict a further 138,420 homes in Kent by 2026 Ð the equivalent of three new towns the size of Dover. Housing and population are expected to grow in Ashford, Dover, Maidstone and the Thames Gateway -which stretches along the north Kent coast as far as Swale. 
With 69,700 new houses and 61,500 new jobs planned for Kent and Medway by 2016, traffic flows will get worse without planning and investment in infrastructure now. Kent is also particularly vulnerable to climate change because of its geography. Coastlines, rolling hills, extensive woodland, orchards and hop fields as well as a rich mosaic of roads, tracks and fields are key elements that give Kent its unique character and sense of place but provide their own challenges.