What is the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership?
The Kent and Medway Economic Partnership Board is chaired by the private sector and is made up of 33 members: 17 business representatives, 14 local authority leaders, 1 representative from higher education and 1 representative from further education. The board has sought to ensure that there is a balanced representation of businesses and local authorities, reflecting Kent and Medway’s geography and the diversity of its business base.
The role of the KMEP can be summarised as being to:-
• Approve, drive forward and monitor a strategic economic plan for Kent and Medway;
• Consider strategic economic investment priorities through funds such as the Single Local Growth Fund, European structural and investment funds and other public funding sources that may become available;
• Determine and monitor the use of all funding devolved from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership to Kent and Medway;
• Act as the commissioning body for projects and programmes in Kent and Medway funded through the Single Local Growth Fund and the European Structural and Investment Funds;
• Consider and develop responses to new economic opportunities and challenges in Kent and Medway;
• Ensure a strong voice for Kent and Medway business and government at national and regional level, including through the South East LEP.
The Kent and Medway Economic Partnership is responsible for the delivery of the objectives set out in Kent and Medway’s Growth Plan ‘Unlocking the Potential: Going for Growth.’ The Growth Deal sets out the actions that businesses and local authorities in Kent and Medway, together with the South East LEP and central Government will take to drive forward delivery. It sets out the case for Local Growth Fund investment in Kent and Medway as part of an intelligent funding package, alongside the new European structural fund programme, existing Regional Growth Funds, developer contributions and local authority funds.
Please see the Strategic Economic Plan tab for further information about KMEP and SELEP Strategy.
Investment
KMEP and SELEP were successful in securing a Local Growth Fund allocation from Government of more than £180m, to support a large number of schemes throughout its area. These projects are now progressing and delivering the infrastructure needed to support economic growth. The map below shows the locations of the projects, which have been allocated local growth funding. Please click on the links below the map to access information about each business case.
Dartford Town Centre Transformation: Dartford town centre is one of Britain’s largest growth locations, and sits at the gateway to the Thames Estuary. However transport constraints have impeded development and limit the town’s ability to fulfil its significant economic potential. With major development in adjacent locations such as Ebbsfleet Garden City with its 10,000+ new homes, it is vital that Dartford develops as a distinctive and vibrant retail location.
This scheme incentivises private sector investment in major stalled development sites and improves the economic performance of Dartford Town Centre by at least 25% through transportation and public realm improvements. These improvements include the reconfiguration and optimisation of traffic and pedestrian flow; increased accessibility through new cycle and pedestrian routes; increased road user safety; and the creation of a market square.
The LGF Investment = £4.3m. The Total Project Cost = £12m.
Key date: The Business Case will be taken to the SELEP Accountability Board in April 2018.
A226 London Rd/B255 St Clements Way, Dartford: This project will improve the capacity of the junction of the A226 London Road and B255 St Clements Way to the north of Bluewater Shopping Centre in the Borough of Dartford.
The A226 London Road/ B255 St Clements Way junction is historically a standard 4 arm roundabout. The junction carries high volumes of traffic and is subject to existing congestion, especially during the peak periods. The Local Growth Fund scheme involves replacing the existing 4 arm standard roundabout with an oversized oval roundabout, and will see the A206 northbound arm increase the existing two exit lanes to three exit
lanes, with the offside lane being a bus only lane.
In addition to the northbound bus lane, a southbound bus lane will be provided on the A206 north of the St Clements Way junction. This lane will begin approximately 20 metres south of the A206 Crossways Boulevard junction and continue south to approximately 20 metres north of the St Clements Way junction.
The LGF Investment = £4.2m. The Total Project Cost = £6.9m.
The business case was approved by the SELEP Accountability Board in November 2016.
Rathmore Road Link, Gravesend: The project saw the relocation of the southern section of Gravesend town centre ring road on to the A226 Rathmore Road. The new road layout opened in January 2018.
The completed project is helping to ease traffic circulation, improve public realm and contribute to the successful introduction of sustainable access opportunities to the town and Gravesend railway station.
The LGF Investment = £4.2m. The Total Project Cost = £9.5m.
The business case is available here.
A289 Four Elms roundabout to Medway Tunnel: The aim of the scheme is to ensure a highway network between the M2 J1 and the Medway Tunnel which can deliver the desired housing growth and to alleviate current delays exiting Medway City Estate.
The scheme involves improvements to the three roundabouts (Four Elms, Sans Pareil and Anthonys Way roundabouts) on the A289 corridor between Four Elms roundabout and the Medway Tunnel. The overall objective is to provide a highway network which is able to support the regeneration on the Hoo Peninsula and the Isle of Grain.
The LGF Investment = £11.1m. The Total Project Cost = £11.6m.
A project update was taken to the SELEP Accountability Board in February 2018.
Strood Town Centre: Strood lies within the Thames Gateway, a designated area for the growth of new communities, with Medway highlighted in the Delivery Plan as a strategic location for investment.
A number of interventions are included within the LGF project to address the issue of poor journey times, improvements to pedestrian accessibility, new cycle facilities and urban realm enhancement. These form an integrated package of traffic management measures and network improvements. Within Strood, this funding has enabled the delivery of a new station building with a new ticket hall, a better retail offer and a new forecourt to signficantly improve the customer experience.
The LGF investment = £9.0m. The Total Project Cost = £12.8m.
The latest update is available here, and the original business case is here.
Strood Civic Centre - flood mitigation measures: This project will see improvements to flood defences to enable the bringing forward of a prime development site on the River Medway.
The migitation measures will enable the former Civic Centre’s brownfield site to be an area of prime, high-quality residential land with potential for premium housing, offering fantastic un-interrupted views of Rochester Castle and Cathedral. Development of the site will also provide employment land, targeted at SMEs, encouraging local cafes, restaurants and independent retailers, enabling job creation.
The LGF Investment = £3.5m. The Total Project Cost = £36.3m.
Key date: The Business Case will be taken to the SELEP Accountability Board in March 2018.
Medway City Estate connectivity improvement measures: This scheme delivers commuter link improvements to the Medway City Estate, the central commercial and industrial area of the Medway Towns, resulting in shorter commuter times for the 5,000 people (approximately) who work on the estate and instigating greener, more efficient modes of transport to the estate.
The benefits of this scheme are expected to include: reduced congestion on the estate, increased numbers of pedestrians and cyclists due to the improved environment, improved access to Chatham town centre and increased use of public transport.
The LGF Investment = £2m. The Total Project Cost = £2.1m.
The business case is available here.
Chatham Town Centre place-making and public realm package: This scheme delivers public realm and accessibility improvements on an important gateway into a regional business centre. The scheme improves the links between Chatham railway station and Chatham town centre and waterfront area, resulting in improved access from the station to large areas of employment, retail and education in the town centre and beyond, particularly for people with mobility difficulties.
The project will include: gateway improvements at Chatham station, improved walking and cycling facilities, improvements to hard and soft landscaping along the corridor from the train station to the town including the creation of a civic square, traffic management measures near Chatham station, signage and way-marking improvements and public art installations.
The LGF Investment = £4m. The Total Project Cost = £4.9m.
The business case is available here.
Rochester Airport Project: This project sees the introduction of a technology park at Rochester Airport. Phase 1 of the project involves improvements to airport infrastructure and removal of the second runway. Phase 2 sees the delivery of onsite infrastructure to facilitate the development of the Technology Park and to enable private development to come forward.
The LGF Investment for both phases = £8.1m. The Total Project Cost = £53.1m.
The Rochester Airport masterplan is available here and the business case here
Sittingbourne Town Centre Regeneration: This projects sees the regeneration of Sittingbourne Town Centre through the delivery of an integrated transport interchange and improvements to the public realm in the vicinity of Sittingbourne railway station.
The project includes improvements to the road network, realignment of St Michael’s Road, and an integrated transport interchange in front of Sittingbourne station to allow a safer pedestrian experience in the town centre. The whole regeneration project includes for a multiplex cinema, in excess of 200 residential units, small and big box retail units, restaurants, a public square, new Civic Offices with library and Gateway, health centre, general offices and a multistory car park generating nearly 800 new jobs in the first phase alone.
The LGF Investment = £2.5m. The Total Project Cost = £4.7m.
The business case is available here
A2500 Lower Road Improvements, Isle of Sheppey: The project will see a scheme replace the existing signal controlled arrangement at the A2500 Lower Road/Barton Hill Drive junction with a roundabout.
This is required because the A2500 experiences unacceptable levels of congestion on a daily basis because it is one of only two roads leading to the mainland; it is the key transport corridor for the Island’s tourism-related economy; it experiences heavy usage by employees accessing the 3 HM Prison clustered around the A2500.
The LGF Investment = £1.3m. The Total Project Cost = £1.8m.
The business case is available here.
Since the LGF project was approved, central government has allocated National Productivity Investment Funding to support the widening of the A2500 as well. An update on how these two projects interact is available here
A2 off-slip at Wincheap, Canterbury: Delivery of in the coast-bound direction to improve accessibility to residential and commercial sites, along with Canterbury town centre.
The LGF Investment = £4.4m. The Total Project Cost = £10.1m
Information on this scheme can be found here.
Kent & Medway Engineering, Design, Growth & Enterprise (EDGE) Hub: Provision of a new skills facility in Canterbury to support high value employment, growth and investment in Engineering and Technology.
The LGF Investment = £6.1m. The Total Project Cost = £21m
The business case is available here
Sturry Link Road, Canterbury: At present there are approximately 18,000 vehicles per day using the level crossing at Sturry. This is the combination of traffic from Herne Bay via the A291 and Thanet via the A28 joining and heading towards Canterbury City Centre. The project will see the provision of a link road, which is designed to remove the need for mainline traffic on the A28 (from Thanet district) and the A291/A28 (from Herne Bay, a satellite town of Canterbury) to cross the level crossing at Sturry, by means of an alternative bridge.
The LGF Investment = £5.9m. The Total Project Cost = £29.6m
The business case is available here.
A28 Sturry Road Integrated Transport Package, Canterbury: The Sturry Road Integrated Transport Package will provide an additional inbound section of bus lane on the A28 approaching Canterbury City Centre. The introduction of the additional bus lane is intended to enhance the service provided by the existing public transport network and in particular the Sturry Road Park and Ride site. The additional lane will supplement the existing inbound bus lane, extending the length of bus lane by a further 0.7km on the A28 corridor which has high traffic occupancy of the available capacity, restricted space for buses at the outer end and significant peak congestion for all road users.
The LGF Investment = £0.3m. The Total Project Cost = £0.7m
Coastal Communities Housing Intervention (Thanet): The project enables housing-led economic regeneration in Margate. The LGF funding will be used to continue the programme of converting empty or problem properties to family accommodation, creating 12 additional homes.
The LGF Investment = £0.7m. The Total Project Cost = £1.5m
The business case is available here
Thanet Parkway, Thanet: Project to deliver a new railway station. Thanet Parkway Station will be located approximately 2 miles east of Ramsgate on the Ashford International to Ramsgate line, south of the Manston airport site and just to the west of the village of Cliffsend.
The LGF Investment = £10m. The Total Project Cost is under review.
The latest update is available on the Kent County Council website.
Open Golf Championship 2020: The proposed infrastructure investments at Sandwich Railway Station under the project include platform extensions and a second over-footbridge. These improvements will enable longer trains to stop at Sandwich Railway Station to enable Sandwich to host the Open 2020 event.
The last time Kent hosted The Open in 2011, it generated a £77m benefit to the Kent economy, of which £24.14m was direct additional spend. The event is forecast to grow from 180,000 spectators in 2011 to at least 200,000 spectators for 2020.
The LGF Investment = £1.0m. The Total Project Cost = £4.3m.
The latest update went to the November 2017 SELEP Accountability Board..
Middle Deal transport improvements, Dover: This project sees a new link road constructed between Albert Road and Southwall Road forming a spine road for a new development, which comprises the construction of up to 145 residential units, 370sqm of A1 retail floorspace, 480 sqm of B1 office floorspace and a 286 sqm D1 children’s nursery.
The LGF Investment = £0.8m. The Total Project Cost = £1.6m
The business case is available here.
Dover Western Dock Revival: The A20 Improvements project has remodeled two roundabouts (Prince of Wales and York Street) located on the A20 adjacent to the Western Docks in Dover to reconfigure into two traffic signal controlled junctions. This promotes free-flowing traffic along the A20 in order to support major housing growth and town centre regeneration (Dover Town Investment Zone) in Dover as well as enable traffic movements in and out of the Western Docks.
The LGF Investment = £5m. The Total Project Cost = £m
The business case is available here.
Folkestone Seafront: The redevelopment of Folkestone’s harbour and seafront, to provide a comprehensive mixed use development comprising of 746 dwellings, up to 5,000 square metres of commercial floorspace, as well as sea sports and beach sports facilities.
The LGF Investment = £5m. The Total Project Cost = £22.1m
The business case is available here.
Folkestone Seafront Resurfacing: Improvements to the beaches, pedestrian and cycle routes and accessibility into, within and out of the seafront and harbour, together with associated parking.
The LGF Investment for both phases = £0.5m. The Total Project Cost = £0.7m
The business case is available here.
M20 Junction 10A: This project sees the construction of a new motorway junction that will support local infrastructure needs as part of the future growth plans to the South of Ashford, Kent. The M20 Junction 10a is a Highways England-led project, with third party funding support from SELEP and Ashford Borough Council.
The new 10a junction will form part of the motorway, incorporating a new 2-lane dual carriageway link road to the existing A2070 Southern Orbital Road (Bad Munstereifel Road) and will involve, once completed the closure of the eastern slip roads on the nearby existing Junction 10. In addition to the new interchange, the Project includes a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the M20 to the east of the new Junction 10a.
The LGF Investment = £19.7m. The Total Project Cost = £104.4m
The business case went to the December 2017 SELEP Accountabillity Board, and the latest project updates are available on Highways England’s website.
Ashford International Rail Connectivity:The plans of Eurostar International Ltd to introduce new Eurostar trains creates challenges for future International connectivity of Ashford and existing rail signalling infrastructure at Ashford International Railway Station is currently incompatible with the new International trains rolling stock to be introduced.
The Ashford International Rail Connectivity project will upgrade the signalling system at Ashford International Railway Station and will take forward the vehicle change and compatibility process to ensure the retention of international rail services to Ashford.
The LGF Investment = £9.8m. The Total Project Cost = £10.5m
The business case is available here.
The A28 Chart Road Scheme: The scheme will see a dualling of the A28 Chart Road carriageway in both directions between Matalan (Brookfield Road) and Tank (Templer Way) roundabouts, separated by a central island. The existing carriageway between Matalan and Tank is single carriageway with limited capacity.
The LGF Investment = £10.2m. The Total Project Cost = £32.8m
More information is available here.
Maidstone Integrated Transport: This is a package of traffic infrastructure schemes at congestion hotspots that aim to improve journey time reliability to support the delivery of significant housing and employment growth in Maidstone.
One improvement relates to the junctions at each end of Willington Street in Maidstone, which represent significant ‘pinch points’ along the A20 and A274 corridors, inhibiting traffic movement to the east and south of the town.
The scope of this scheme is to improve the existing signalised junctions of Willington Street with the A20 and with the A274 in order to maximise efficiency of the network and reduce queueing and delays. The A274 / Willington Street junction also encompasses the adjacent signalised junction of Wallis Avenue with the A274.
The LGF Investment = £8.9m. The Total Project Cost = £15.8m
More information is available here.
Maidstone Gyratory Bypass: The Maidstone Bridges Gyratory is located in the centre of Maidstone where the A229 and A20 corridors intersect at the River Medway. The gyratory system which traverses the River Medway via two bridges, acts as a key focal point for traffic within the town. Two key arterial routes within the town, in the form of the A229 and A20, converge at this point. These arterial routes provide the main north-south and east-west corridors through the town centre. As a result the gyratory is heavily used, by approximately 5,500 vehicles per hour in the peak periods, including a significant number of bus services currently operating within the town.
This scheme sees the redesign of the gyratory, with the construction of two additional northbound lanes on the eastern side of the River Medway, with new junctions controlled by traffic signals. Additional works also are improving nearby pedestrian areas.
The LGF Investment = £4.6m. The Total Project Cost = £5.7m
The business case is available here.
Maidstone sustainable access to employment areas: This scheme has delivered significant improvements to cycle commuter links in the Maidstone area. This includes the construction of an entirely new pathway along the River Medway between Aylesford Village and Allington Lock, complemented by improvements to the existing pathways along the River Medway to the north and south of Maidstone.
The LGF Investment = £2m. The Total Project Cost = £3m
The business case is available here
M20 Junction 4 Eastern Overbridge: The scheme enhances connectivity between West Kent and Medway and mitigates the significant committed and planned housing and commercial development in the area. The scheme will specifically facilitate the delivery of 3,729 dwellings and 104,000 square metres of commercial development in Medway and West Kent.
The scheme has seen the widening of the Eastern Overbridge of the grade-separated gyratory junction of the M20 and the A228 from two to three lanes. The works has seen the extension of the existing bridge abutments, new beams across the M20 to support the widened carriageway and ‘stitching’ the new and existing decks together.
The LGF Investment = £2.2m. The Total Project Cost = £5.7m
The business case is available here.
Fort Halsted, Sevenoaks: This project enables the purchase and development of an ex-MOD site in Sevenoaks to open up housing, employment and commercial development in an area where availability of such sites is extremely low.
The LGF Investment = £1.5m. The Total Project Cost = £32m
Information on this scheme can be found here.
Leigh Flood Storage Area & East Peckham: Works to increase urgently needed capacity of the flood storage area and at East Peckham to provide protection for existing homes and businesses and to unlock new developments.
The LGF Investment = £4.6m. The Total Project Cost = £24.7m
Information on this scheme can be found here.
Tonbridge Town Centre Regeneration: The scheme has seen the widening of existing footways and narrowing of the existing carriageway through the lower High Street of Tonbridge, between the bridge to the north and the rail station to the south. The scheme has provided a more attractive environment for pedestrians by creating more space for pedestrian movement, providing street furniture and opportunities for public events.
The LGF Investment = £2.4m. The Total Project Cost = £2.65m
The business case is available here.
Tunbridge Wells Junction and A26 Cycle Route Improvements:The scope of this first phase of this project was to improve the junction operation of the A26 London Road/ Speldhurst Road/Yew Tree Rd junction in Tunbridge Wells. The second phase sees the A26 Cycle Route scheme deliver significant improvements to cycle infrastructure along the length of the A26 between Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells and Brook Street, Tonbridge, a distance of 6.1km. The route will link with other proposed cycle routes for the A21 and outlined in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Cycling Strategy, 2016 and the Tonbridge & Malling Cycle Strategy, 2014 to 2019. Together, these routes will form a substantial, joined up and complimentary cycle network.
The LGF Investment = £1.8m. The Total Project Cost = £1.8m
The Tunbridge Wells Junction Improvements business case is available here.
The A26 Cycle Route business case is available here.
Innovation Investment Fund (Growth Hub Capital): The Kent and Medway Growth Hub (Capital) project has funded the establishment of an Innovation Investment Initiative (i3). This is a recyclable fund offering loan and equity finance to small businesses with the appetite and potential for long-term growth. i3 will invest in projects which enable businesses to create and adopt innovative products, processes and services, improve productivity and deliver sustainable employment over the long term.
The LGF Investment = £6m. The Total Project Cost = £15m
The business case is available here. Information on the application process for a i3 loan is available on the Kent County Council website.
Kent Rights of Way Improvement Plan: This is a package of Rights of Way improvement measures.
The Loose Greenway ROWIP scheme has been completed. The ROWIP schemes: 1) Finberry to Ashford and 2) Powder Mills scheme (Leigh to Tonbridge) are underway.
The LGF Investment = £0.3m. The Total Project Cost = £0.3m
Kent Strategic Congestion Management Programme: The project seeks to maximise the efficiency of the stretches of the local highway network as traffic levels increase in line with development.The sections of the network are identified on an annual basis and will vary from year-to-year.
The 2018/19 LGF funding allocation to the Project will be used to fund the following five interventions:
- Wateringbury Crossroads
- Tunbridge Wells ITS Implementation
- Elwick Road/A2042
- MOVA Implementation; and
- Dover TAP/ITS Assessment.
The LGF Investment = £4.8m. The Total Project Cost = £4.8m
The business case for 18/19 was taken to the SELEP Accountability Board in February 2018.
Kent Sustainable Interventions Programme: This investment is designed to fund smaller transport interventions which complement larger major schemes, regeneration projects and the broader growth agenda.
The Kent County Council complementary schemes are identified on an annual basis and will vary from year-to-year. Many are ‘sustainable transport’ schemes, including walking, cycling and public transport initiatives. However, small-scale public realm or minor highway schemes may also be brought forward under this programme.
The LGF Investment = £3m. The Total Project Cost = £3m
The business case for the year 2018/19 is available here.
Kent Thameside Local Sustainable Transport (LSTF): A package of measures to reduce congestion and improve accessibility through the delivery of a fully integrated sustainable transport network, allowing the user to transfer seamlessly between modes and making sustainable transport a real alternative to the private car.
The LGF Investment = £4.5m. The Total Project Cost = £7.7m
The business case is available here.
Medway Cycling Action Plan: This scheme delivers a range of measures designed to improve access to cycling in Medway. The scheme aims to increase overall cycle trips and achieve the accompanying benefits of an increased cycling populace of improved network performance and contributing to tackling wider health and environmental issues such as obesity and climate change.
The package of measures will: expand and improve Medway’s cycling network, deliver training and participation in cycling, improve partnership working with local groups, deliver cycling information and promotional material and maintain and develop travel plans.
The LGF Investment = £2.5m. The Total Project Cost = £2.8m
The business case is available here.
West Kent Local Sustainable Transport (LSTF): This is a package of measures that will address the growing connectivity problems caused in West Kent by traffic congestion and a lack of capacity in the strategic road and rail networks, which is damaging business confidence.The project focuses in particular on addressing the peak hour congestion caused by the school run and journeys to work by increasing the attractiveness of making door to door journeys by sustainable modes. Infrastructure improvements will be delivered at stations, town centres and key interchange points to facilitate multi-modal journeys using public transport, walking and cycling.
The LGF Investment = £4.9m. The Total Project Cost = £9.1m
The business case is available here.
Funded by
The Government’s ‘Growth Deal’ provides money to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, funding projects (identified by KMEP) which drive Kent’s economic and business growth.
