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Thames Gateway Kent Partnership
(AIF), which helped to secure
£210m to support 47 key projects
to transform the opportunities and
fabric of North Kent.
At the heart of Thames Gateway
Kent is a commitment to stimulating
development, innovation and
employment, as well as enhancing
education and skills opportunities.
A key priority for the development
is to make sure that local people
are able to benefit from the many
opportunities which growth and
regeneration will bring to the area
over the coming years. Also on
TGKPÕs theme-based agenda is
developing the areaÕs transport
infrastructure and social and
community regeneration.
TGKP has also added its support to
the critical need to make Ebbsfleet
succeed as a major new business
district for North Kent. Ebbsfleet
and Eastern Quarry alone will
deliver 28,000 jobs and 10,000
homes. Moreover Ebbsfleet, with
its unique location, is well placed
to attract the high value-added
jobs the area seeks and play a
significant part in regenerating
the communities of Dartford
and Gravesham.
Seat of learning
The ÔUniversities at MedwayÕ
partnership has brought together ³
The regeneration of the Thames
Gateway is a project which will
transform the lives of thousands
of people but it is not going to be
achieved overnight. David Liston-
Jones said: ÒA great deal has
already been delivered, but
government operates at various
levels Ð regional, county, unitary as
well as district Ð and if this degree
of change and transformation is to
be undertaken with due democratic
care and attention we need to not
only give a voice to all levels, but
just as importantly listen to all
our communities.Ó
As a result Thames Gateway
Kent Partnership (TGKP) provides
strategic leadership and a forum for
discussing and agreeing priorities
across Dartford, Gravesend, Medway
and Swale, as part of the drive to
secure the areaÕs regeneration.
TGKP is a partnership between
the three local regeneration
partnerships (Kent Thameside,
Medway Renaissance and Swale
Forward), the South East England
Development Agency (SEEDA),
Kent County Council (KCC), Medway
Council as well as other important
partners from the private sector.
Since it was formed in 2001 TGKP
has set about taking a regional
perspective and developed the North
Kent Area Investment Framework
Kent is leading by example when it comes to translating
the governmentÕs plans for Thames Gateway into success,
according to David Liston-Jones, Chief Executive of
the organisation championing Kent and Medway within
the region.
A commitment
to stimulating
development,
innovation and
employment, as
well as enhancing
education and
skills opportunities
David Liston-Jones, Chief Executive of
Thames Gateway Kent Partnership
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England Development Agency
(SEEDA) and Medway Council with
funding granted for three years.
Under GGKM, the partnership will
focus on achieving a number of
significant improvements, including
the creation of essential green
infrastructure and new green grids
to promote walking and cycle routes
between urban centres of population
and the countryside. Such projects
will form a key element of the
Thames Gateway Parklands. A
wide range of local and regional
organisations and local authorities
have committed to the initiative and
will support the work of Martin Hall,
the recently appointed director, in
achieving a transformation of North
KentÕs environment.
Swale, the most easterly part of
the Gateway is also benefiting from
a focus on regeneration. The new
£100m Sheppey Crossing is helping
to unlock the full potential of the
Isle of Sheppey, as well as the
internationally important Port
of Sheerness.
the University of Greenwich, the
University of Kent, Canterbury
Christ Church University and Mid-
Kent College at a shared campus
at Chatham Maritime. The £120
million scheme is the first of its kind
in the country and aims to increase
student numbers in Medway to
more than 10,000 by 2012.
Each of the four institutions offers
its own range of courses, both full
and part-time, drawing on its own
individual academic strengths, and
has its own buildings. By being on
a shared campus, students have
access to a wide range of firstclass
facilities.
Green Agenda
A growing focus is on the quality of
the areaÕs environment, recognising
the role it plays in creating a sense
of place. As a result the ÔGreening
the Gateway Kent and MedwayÕ
(GGKM) partnership, chaired by
David Liston-Jones, has secured
the support of Natural England,
Kent County Council, South East
Picture courtesy of Kent Tourism Alliance
Pembroke Building, University of Greenwich
³ Thames Gateway Kent Partnership continued...
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¥ The continued revitalisation
of town centres in Dartford,
Gravesend and Sittingbourne.
More recently TGKP has been
working closely with its partners
and with Government on the next
stage, the production of a costed
delivery plan setting out all the
projects and programmes to be
carried out in the Gateway over
the next 20 years.
Although Thames Gateway is clearly
demarcated, David Liston-Jones
believes it would be short-sighted
to view Thames Gateway in isolation,
saying: ÒAs well as being a building
block of the Thames Gateway, the
Thames Gateway Kent area is, of
course, a building block of the
county and of the South East.
ÒEconomic development and
regeneration are no respecter
of geographical boundaries and
while we must recognise that
fact, our focus must be to create
sustainable communities
throughout the Gateway.Ó
Contact:
Tel: 01634 338148
www.tgkp.org
A recent demonstration of
SwaleÕs emerging attractiveness
as a business location is the
announcement by Aldi, the
international supermarket group,
that it is to build a new 56,500m2
regional office and distribution
centre on the Isle of Sheppey.
The investment will create 200
jobs, the biggest single employment
boost in more than 40 years.
As the voice of Thames Gateway
Kent, the Partnership coordinated
the areaÕs collective input into the
GovernmentÕs Thames Gateway
Interim Plan published last
November. TGKPÕs submission Ð
prepared in collaboration with
SEEDA Ð set out the key priorities
for North Kent which needed to
be reflected in the overall Plan.
These were:
¥ The successful development of
Ebbsfleet Valley as a major new
business and financial district
¥ The growth of Medway as an
international city of learning,
culture, tourism and enterprise
¥ Taking advantage of the
growth opportunities around
the A249 corridor
Picture courtesy of Medway Council
Relaxing times at St MaryÕs Island,
Chatham Maritime
The Thames Gateway development stretches from London to Essex to Kent. The Olympic development sits on the western edge at Lower Lea Valley. An artistÕs impression.