Medway City Status Bid 2012

www.cityofmedway.org

MedwayCity Status Bid

2012

Contents

Medway City Status Bid 2012

www.cityofmedway.org2

ASHFORDINTERNATIONAL

EBBSFLEETINTERNATIONAL

EUROTUNNEL

LONDON

Medway’s location

Calais

Medway’s location ...................................................2Rich heritage, great future........................................3Medway – our place.................................................5Medway – our rich heritage .....................................7Medway – our great future .......................................9The people of Medway ..........................................11Introducing our city centre .....................................13A diverse and thriving economy ............................19Visiting and enjoying Medway ...............................21

A busy diary of events and festivals ......................29A natural environment to be proud of ....................31Leisure and sporting opportunities for all .............35Volunteering and community organisations...........39The best start for our children and young people .....41How the council works...........................................45Backing the bid ......................................................46Map ........................................................................47

Rich heritage, great future

We are proud to use this banner to promote Medway’s bid for city status.

It exemplifies the proud tradition and history of Medway and its ongoing development into a thriving21st century home for a growing population of more than 250,000 people, the largest urbanconurbation in the south-east outside London.

Medway is bidding to become a new city but its history as a place of national importance stretchesback hundreds of years – Britain’s second oldest cathedral, the resting place of King Charles II onthe night before he was restored to the throne, a 12th century Norman castle, the historic dockyardwhere Nelson’s flagship Victory was built, the home of the Royal Engineers, the place where Dickenswrote some of English literature’s greatest novels. These are just a few of the ways our rich heritage ispart of our nation’s history.

From the past, to the present – and towards our future. In 2012, Medway will celebrate the 10thanniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s visit to open the new Universities at Medway campus. Tenyears on and Medway has four universities with a growing student population totalling some 12,000undergraduates. This increasingly skilled workforce underpins Medway’s long-term economicdevelopment, providing a catalyst for growth which will be further enhanced should Medway realiseits ambition to become a city.

Whilst Medway has many of the features that make a city, being honoured with city status by Her Majesty in 2012 would be a new chapter in Medway’s great future. It would enable ourtransformation to continue and help us to respond to the challenges of the years ahead.

Through this document we hope you will enjoy your virtual visit to our home, and we look forward tobeing able to welcome you to the City of Medway.

Cllr Rodney ChambersLeaderMedway Council

www.cityofmedway.org 3




The River Medway with Rochester Castle and Cathedral during one of Medway's 28 days each year of free festivals and events.

The River Medway, Chatham, Chatham Maritime, Gillingham and the Great Lines Heritage Park - 70 hectares ofopen space at the heart of Medway.

Medway – our place

To understand Medway – its rich heritage and great future – there is only one place to start. On theriver that defines the place and gives Medway its name.

Fittingly, Medway’s city centre follows the flow of the river. At one end its gateway is marked by theiconic Rochester Castle, built in 1127, the tallest surviving Norman keep in the country at 113ft. Thisscheduled ancient monument is managed in partnership by English Heritage and Medway Council.

Travel two miles downstream and the historic castle is replaced by the symbolism of 21st CenturyMedway – the newly completed towers of Chatham Maritime stand grandly over St Mary’s Island with its award-winning housing development, luxury marina and new shopping and entertainmentcomplex.

Sail between these gateways and the banks of the river reflect Medway’s evolution:

l the earliest use of the River Medway by the Royal Navy took place in the reign of Henry VIII and theRoyal Dockyard at Chatham was founded in 1570 during the reign of Elizabeth I. This put Medway at the heart of naval shipbuilding for more than 400 years. The dockyard sits across the river from Medway’s largest modern economic hub; Medway City Estate, which is home to more than 500 businesses employing 6,000 people.

l upstream, and the University of Creative Arts – the newest of Medway’s four universities – overlooks Rochester railway station with its new high-speed service into London and the huge Rochester Riverside regeneration site where work is underway to create a community of 2,000 homes alongside schools, shops and other services.

Medway has a population of more than 250,000 and is larger than more than twenty other UK cities.

Its major centres of population† are Chatham (population 79,537), Gillingham (population 40,674)Rochester (population 20,314), Strood (population 27,000) and Rainham (population 55,121). These are complemented by swathes of green spaces including our villages, the internationallyrenowned and scientifically important wetlands, a diverse range of country parks and the Great LinesHeritage Park – a part of Medway’s history since Napoleonic times and the heart of Medway’s worldheritage site bid.



The largest conurbation in the south-eastoutside London

Regimental Headquarters of theRoyal Engineers, celebrating its200th anniversary in 2012

† Source: Office for National Statistics 2009 mid year estimates



From the Spanish Armada to the Falklands Crisis ships built, repaired and manned from Chatham Dockyard securedand maintained Britain’s command of the world oceans and the global position it has today. Since the closure of thedockyard in 1984, the site has been transformed into one of the region's premier visitor attractions.

The Chatham Naval Memorial in the Great Lines Heritage Park unveiled by the Prince of Wales (the future KingEdward VIII) on 26 April 1924. The extension to the memorial after the Second World War was unveiled by theDuke of Edinburgh on 15 October 1952.

Medway – our rich heritage

The heritage of Medway lies behind much that defines the area and its place in the county of Kent. Indeed the RiverMedway acts as a dividing line between north and south Kent - its name probably has its origins in the Anglo-Saxonwords for "middle way".

The walled settlement of Rochester (Durobrivae) was an important river crossing and road station inRoman times. When the Romans left England, Saxon incomers farmed and fished in Medway. In 604 AD, Rochester Cathedral was founded and is the second oldest cathedral in England. But itwasn’t until the Norman invasion of England in 1066, which brought a new culture and style ofarchitecture to Medway, that its distinctive shape took form. As well as constructing a new cathedral,the Normans also built Rochester Castle – one of the finest examples of Norman defensivearchitecture in the country. The castle was subjected to three sieges – the most famous being in1215, re-enacted on international cinema screens in 2011 when James Purefoy starred in Ironclad.Despite this siege, the castle remains standing today as an iconic building in Medway’s landscape.

Chatham was established as a Royal Dockyard during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and it quicklybecame the largest refitting and shipbuilding dockyard in England. Nelson's flagship HMS Victorywas launched at Chatham in 1765.

The 19th Century – and 1812 in particular - proved seminal in Medway as it is known today. The Royal Engineers established their regimental headquarters in Medway and Charles Dickens was born.

Rochester was the inspiration for many of Dickens' greatest works. Indeed, Restoration House wasSatis House in Great Expectations, where Miss Havisham lived. As well as Great Expectations,Medway proved the setting and provided the characters for a number of his greatest novels includingPickwick Papers and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Charles Dickens spent his childhood years in Medway from 1817 to 1822 while his father worked at thenaval dockyard in Chatham. He was a national legend when he returned for the last 13 years of his life,dying at Gad's Hill in 1870. One of Dickens’ most treasured possessions, the Swiss chalet in which hewrote while at Gad’s Hill, can be seen in the gardens of Eastgate House in Rochester.

Such is Medway’s historical importance that we are hoping to celebrate 2012 by receiving formalpermission to submit a bid to become a World Heritage Site.

The proposed World Heritage Site includes the Historic Dockyard, Fort Amherst, Gun Wharf, UpnorCastle, the Great Lines, Brompton Village, the Royal School of Military Engineering (BromptonBarracks) and the River Medway.



Chatham wasestablished as aRoyal Dockyard byQueen Elizabeth Iin 1570



The new MidKent College campus in Gillingham, opened by HRH Princess Anne The Princess Royal in 2010, hasmore than 2,800 16-18 year old students studying for a range of vocational qualifications - an important part ofhelping Medway's young people get the best start in life.

Dominated by the towers of the Quays development the 140 hectare waterfront Chatham Maritime site hasbeen transformed into a thriving business, education, leisure and residential community with 20,000m2 of office space providing more than 3,500 jobs.

Medway – our great future

We are proud of our heritage and we are excited by our future. Nowhere is that more clearlyexpressed than in the development of skills and education as part of Medway’s regeneration. SinceHer Majesty the Queen opened the Universities at Medway campus in 2002 in Chatham’s formerRoyal Naval College, Medway’s student population has grown significantly.

There are now four universities – University of Kent, University of Greenwich, Canterbury Christ ChurchUniversity and the University for the Creative Arts. Together they have a student population of 12,000and growing, offering a wide range of courses including law, sports science and therapy, naturalsciences, nursing, teaching, journalism and fashion – in 2009 fashion student Myrto Stamou won theprestigious Gold Award at the national graduate fashion week in London and has a collection stockedin the High Street chain River Island.

The development of our universities is complemented by theexcellent education provision in Medway:l in 2010, HRH the Princess Royal opened the new MidKent

College campus, the largest further education establishment in Kent;l the £75m development of three new academies, each co-sponsored by one of Medway’s universities;l our primary schools have been granted an Olympic Inspire Mark for their work on the Our Medway:

Counting down to 2012 curriculum project.

The burgeoning improvement in the skills of Medway’s people is a key factor in the ongoingdevelopment of Medway’s economy. It is worth around £3.3billion per year and has 13,000 businesses.With a population of more than 250,000, expanding to around 280,000 by 2028, Medway’s economyhas a targeted growth rate of twice the national average and is expected to create 40,000 jobs by 2026.†

The projected growth in Medway’s economy is helped by Medway’s geographical position, benefitingfrom comprehensive transport links within the UK and Europe. Medway has good access to the M2,M20 and M25 motorways and the high speed train line linking Medway to London in 34 minutes. Inaddition it is near the UK’s largest passenger port at Dover and close to major international airports.Medway also has its own airport at Rochester, close to the M2 motorway.

Excellent transport links have allowed us to welcome the world to Medway. In 2010, Medwaycelebrated the completion of its new regional centre of sporting excellence, Medway Park, by stagingthe Modern Pentathlon World Cup and this year will host an official Olympic qualifying competitionwhen it stages the Modern Pentathlon European Championships. It is also an accredited trainingcentre for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.

Not only has Medway Park brought Olympic and world champions to Medway, it is also a tangiblesign of the physical and social regeneration in the area.

In Medway, regeneration is not a pipedream, it is a reality. Chatham Maritime, St Mary’s Island, theUniversities at Medway, Medway Park and our new hi-tech business complex, the Medway InnovationCentre are all projects completed that form part of the dynamic development of Medway. The peopleof Medway recognise that city status is an important part of Medway’s future. More than two-thirds ofpeople living in the area support our bid along with the area’s major employers and businesses.



Four universitieswith 12,000 students

† Source: Medway Council estimates



A 21-gun salute fired from Fort Amherst in Chatham to celebrate the marriage of HRH Prince William of Wales toMiss Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011. On the same day a new footbridge was unveiled at Fort Amherst andnamed as Prince William's Bridge in celebration of the couple's wedding.

The £11m Medway Park regional centre of sporting excellence provides facilities for amateur and professionalsportsmen and women. The centre is located next to the regimental museum of the Royal Engineers, of whichHRH The Queen is the Colonel-in-Chief, and the Royal School of Military Engineering.

The people of Medway

Slovak, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Czech, Punjabi, Mandarin, Bengali,Portuguese, Romanian, Cantonese, Tamil, Kurdish, Vietnamese,Bulgarian… and, of course, English. Just a few of the 50 or morelanguages spoken in modern-day Medway – not surprising for a largeurban area near London.

Medway has a higher proportion of under 20-year-olds than the regional and national average, and alower proportion of over 60-year-olds. However, population projections up to 2028† suggest that around80 per cent of the increase in population for Medway will come from older age groups.

Those are the facts and figures about Medway’s population. Over the past year support for our bid for city status has been overwhelming at many of our city status events. But to explain more aboutwhat city status would mean to people in Medway, we asked a selection of notable local people togive their views.



Diverse populationfrom more than 50different countries

The Very Reverend Adrian Newman,Dean of Rochester and newly appointed Bishop of Stepney“As befits people who live on an ancientpilgrims’ route, Medway residents arehospitable and welcoming. As peopledefined by the crossing of a river, they areused to overcoming obstacles and findingsolutions to the problems they face. Aspart of a frontier county, a capacity forchange and innovation is in their blood.”

Azhar Mahmood, Medway HumanRights and Equality Council“The cultural heritage of Medway hasbeen enhanced by the many minorityethnic communities who have chosen tolive and work in Medway.

“Their diverse and distinct communityorganisations, faith institutions andcultural groups have contributedimmensely to harmony, peace andprosperity and make Medway a diverseand inclusive society.”

Professor Louis Passfield, Head ofSport Studies, University of Kent“Chatham Maritime provides a superbuniversity campus for students to study inMedway. On one cosmopolitan campusstaff and students from three differentuniversities work and study alongside one another.

“The campus adds great diversity toMedway as students arrive from aroundthe UK and the world.

“Living up to its moniker of the UK's European University, the department isstaffed by academics from seven differentcountries. These staff and students havechanged the face of Medway. Their success has created an increasinglyregarded seat of learning. ”

Ian Kirkpatrick, Managing Director,The Fountain Workshop Limited“We have found Medway to be anexcellent base for our business and themajority of our staff are residents ofMedway. We have a policy of procuringfrom local sources wherever practical toensure that we support the local economy.

“We have found Medway Council to havebeen particularly supportive over the years,particularly in their initiatives for small andmedium sized enterprises.

“We wholeheartedly support the bid forcity status which we feel will bringtangible benefits to the business profilewithin the area.”

Pat Sanford, Head Teacher, High Halstow Primary School“I have worked with many pupils withinMedway and have found them to be eagerand enthusiastic learners who respond tochallenges in a positive way. Young

people in Medway are concerned withtheir own lives but also show a desire tolearn about other young people throughoutthe world. They are caring, compassionateand keen to become the next citizens whocan make a difference to their future.”

Rachael Burford, England women’srugby world cup finalist“I have been involved in sport for 18 yearsand I know Medway has the sport bug –there are so many sporting opportunities.Medway’s community has supported memassively throughout my rugby careerand without its help I would not be where Iam today. People outside of Medway havecommented to me on many occasionsabout how supportive Medway is of sportin its community.”

Bob Bounds, Editor, Medway Messenger“Medway is a great place to live andwork. It has distinct communities, whichwill continue to flourish and thrive withinthe proposed city. “Bidding for city status provides anopportunity to talk about who we are as acommunity, where we’ve come from, andmost importantly where we’re going.Having that debate and feeling confidentand optimistic about the future can onlybe positive.”

† Source: Medway Council forecasts †† Source: Office of National Statistics



The former Chatham Town Hall, now the Brook Theatre, looks over the open space of the Paddock and beyond toChatham's new waterfront bus station and the River Medway itself.

Chatham Waterfront bus station, opening in late 2011, will act as a further catalyst to the regeneration of Medway'scity centre and waterfront. The attractive, landscaped station will use GPS technology to track the progress ofbuses and provide customers up-to-the-minute arrival and departure times on digital display boards.

Introducing our city centre

The city centre heart of Medway is Chatham - a diverse maritime destination with a rich historystretching back more than 400 years.

The great naval dockyard in Chatham produced many famous ships, including HMS Victory. Since the closure of the dockyard in 1984 Chatham has come through difficult times and subsequentlyemerged as the bustling commercial and transport centre of Medway.

Most of Medway’s bus routes will pass through Chatham’s brand new waterfront bus station,showcasing Chatham’s potential as a waterfront city centre. Chatham’s train station is also a shortwalk from the High Street and provides fast rail connections to Kent, London and the continent.

Chatham High Street features a mix of leading national retailers, such as Debenhams, Primark andWaterstones, as well as a large number of independent retailers. Also in the heart of Chatham is thePentagon Shopping Centre where many leading brand name stores can be found. The centre hasnearly 100 shops, restaurants, cafes and an indoor bowling alley.

But Medway’s city centre Chatham is about far more than shopping. Located in the High Street isChatham’s Central Theatre – a beautiful 960-seat theatre that hosts national touring shows and localamateur productions alike. The old Chatham Town Hall is a thriving arts centre with a 400-seat auditorium offering professional theatre, community productions, jazz, folk and comedy.Chatham’s Nucleus Arts Centre was opened in 2002 as a space for local artists to develop anddisplay their talents. It has since grown into an award-winning arts and community base at theforefront of the cultural regeneration of Medway.

Much of Chatham is overlooked by Fort Amherst. This is Britain's best surviving example of aNapoleonic Fortress and is of international historical importance, built to protect the former RoyalDockyard at Chatham from a land-based attack.



Medway has the potential to bean exemplary 21st centurysustainable city. Sir Terry Farrell, Five Towns Make a City



The 300-berth marina at Chatham Maritime provides a stunning waterfront setting for the regenerated formerdockyard site.

The Dickens World attraction, Dockside Outlet Centre and one of Medway's two multiplex cinemas attractthousands of visitors every day to Chatham Maritime.

Nowhere symbolises Chatham’s rebirth since the dark days following the dockyard closure better thanthe Chatham Maritime area. Part of the former dockyard now prospers as a visitor attraction and ishome to a thriving business community with more than 140 small businesses employing more than1,000 people.

It is also home to No.1 Smithery: National Treasure Inspiring Culture – a joint project between theChatham Historic Dockyard Trust, the National Maritime Museum and the Imperial War Museum.

A variety of companies are based at Chatham Historic Dockyard including high-tech design companies, management companies, solicitors, accountants, ship builders, sign writers and traditionalcraft businesses, such as wood carving and furniture restoration firms. More than 400 people also livewithin the site’s walls - in properties that range from historic residences, large and small, to modern new homes.

The skyline at Chatham Maritime is dominated by the new towers at the Quays. With its 334apartments this development is part of the regenerated former dockyard site.

The site also features a 300-berth marina and has berths available for visiting vessels. It is built in aformer dockyard basin originally used to build warships and submarines.

The former Boiler Shop, where boilers were made ready for installation in ships built at the dockyard,now bustles with activity as the Dockside Outlet Centre at Chatham Maritime. This regional shoppingcentre features more than 80 shops, restaurants, and Medway’s second multiplex cinema, and sitsalongside the popular Dickens World attraction – bringing the area’s connections with CharlesDickens alive for visitors and locals alike.

As Medway’s city centre, Chatham also has spectacular open spaces for residents and visitors toenjoy. The Great Lines Heritage Park has 70 hectares of publicly accessible open space visible frommuch of Chatham. The Chatham Naval Memorial at its apex is one of Medway’s best-knownlandmarks and commemorates the 18,500 officers, ranks and ratings of the Royal Navy who were lost or buried at sea in the two World Wars.



"Fast trains andwaterfront living"Evening Standard, 30 June 2010



The Pentagon Shopping Centre is at the centre of Chatham. With 33,900m2 of shopping it has nearly 100 shops, a16 lane bowling alley and is an established and important local and regional shopping destination.

The £63 million Dockside Outlet Centre at Chatham Maritime is a Grade ll listed building originally constructed atWoolwich Dockyard in about 1847 and then re-erected in Chatham in around 1876. The building is historically important as an early example of the use of cast and wrought iron and now thrives as a busy Medway shoppingdestination.



Chatham High Street is a pedestrianised area that features a mix of leading national retailers as well as a largenumber of independent retailers. Each summer it plays host to the Fuse Medway Festival - one of the region'shighest profile street arts festivals.

Described as “the place to go” in Chatham by The Guardian, the cafe at Chatham's Nucleus Arts Centre nestlesin a pleasant courtyard setting just off Chatham High Street.



Medway Innovation Centre, located at Rochester Airport, provides a home for hi-tech and innovative businessesand helps retain entrepreneurs and jobs in growing businesses in Medway.

Originally built in 1974 Gillingham's Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre was the first out of town shopping centreto be built in the south east and has more than 50 popular retailers under one roof.

A diverse and thriving economy

Medway’s economy is built upon a strong industrial heritage, with Chatham Dockyard’s ship building,Short Brothers aeroplanes, and Aveling & Porter steam rollers. Medway has also had a petrochemicalindustry on the Hoo peninsula since Victorian times.

This backdrop of industrial expertise resulted in a considerable modern manufacturing andengineering base. However, Medway, which is home to 13,000 businesses, is, and will continue to be,based on a broader and more diverse range of industry sectors.

Manufacturing, power generation, financial and business services, construction, ports and logisticsand the creative industries and tourism sectors are all well represented in Medway. Medway’s majoremployers encompass BAE Systems, Delphi Diesel Systems, Veetee Rice, EoN, Scottish Power,Lloyds of London, BOSE, Jubilee Clips, London Thamesport, RBS, and the BP Aviation Fuel Terminal.

The Medway economy is worth more than £3.3billion per year,having grown at a rate of 31 per cent between 2001 and 2008† .

Between 2008 and 2010 growth in median weekly earnings forfull-time employees in Medway exceeded growth in regional and national earnings resulting in thegap between earnings in Medway and the south east narrowing in the past three years.

Health is Medway’s largest employment sector, accounting for 15 per cent of all jobs, followed by retailwith 12 per cent of jobs and education with 11 per cent. Employment in the construction industry inMedway exceeds the national level with 8 per cent of jobs. Manufacturing jobs account for 8.5 per cent,in line with the rest of the country.

By value construction is the largest sector in the economy. Other sectors that are proportionately largerin Medway than nationally are transport, health, retail, accommodation and food services.

Medway‘s commercial property stock is affordable compared to the south east and there is a wideselection of properties available. Its main business estates are Medway City Estate, GillinghamBusiness Park and Lordswood Industrial Estate. The largest retail centres in Medway are the PentagonShopping Centre, Chatham and Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre, Gillingham.

New employment land is currently being commissioned at Kingsnorth Commercial Park. Grain BusinessPark is also in the early stages of the planning process – this will see the largest new release ofcommercial land in Europe for many years and will realise the development of 465,000m2 ofemployment floor space. Lodge Hill in Medway will be the only new freestanding residential andcommercial development in the UK, with up to 75,000m² of new, high value commercial employmentspace developed on former Ministry of Defence land.

Medway’s location is advantageous to businesses, being part of a new economic corridor that allowseasy access and fast connections by road and rail to London and the continent. Eurostar is easilyaccessible from nearby Ebbsfleet in under 10 minutes by car or train and the new HS1 fast trainservice allows access to London from Medway’s five mainline stations in an average time of 35minutes at peak times.



Economy worth morethan £3.3bn per year

† Source: Medway Council economic data



Medway has a wide range of tourism and heritage attractions appealing to visitors and local residents, includingRochester Castle which is visited by up to 72,000 people each year.

As the second oldest cathedral in England, Rochester Cathedral was consecrated in 1130 by the Archbishop ofCanterbury in the presence of Henry I.

Visiting and enjoying Medway

Medway is a vibrant tourist destination steeped in history. It is one of the south east’s most dynamicdestinations marrying its celebrated heritage with a rapidly emerging cultural scene.

Tourism in Medway is currently worth £286million per annum† to the local economy. There are anestimated 3.3million day trips made to Medway each year and visitors on overnight trips spend£88million†. Tourism is a key sector of the Medway economy and over the last five years visitor spendhas increased by 13 per cent†.

Medway’s tourist offer encompasses world-class military and maritime heritage, a vibrant cultural andarts scene, major family attractions and spectacular urban and rural landscapes.

Its close proximity to both London and the continent also helps attract a variety of visitors. Twentyper cent of visitors are from overseas – mainly from western Europe and the USA. Domestic visitorsto Medway come mainly from London and the south-east.

Medway has an array of iconic heritage attractions. These include:

• Rochester Castle (1088): Built for William II by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester. In 1127, Henry I gave custody of the castle to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who built the central keep - the tallest Norman keep in the country.

• Rochester Cathedral (founded 604): England's second oldest cathedral, and has been home to community worship for more than 1,400 years. The cathedral houses the Textus Roffensis,the priceless 12th Century manuscript said to have inspired the Magna Carta.

• Temple Manor (1240): Designed to accommodate travelling Knights Templar, an order of monastic soldiers, Henry II gave Strood to the Templars in 1159.

• Upnor Castle (1559): Built on the orders of Elizabeth I to protect the Medway. The castle was tested in 1667 when a Dutch squadron stole the English flagship, the Royal Charles and burnt the fleet, although it failed to reach the dockyard.

• Eastgate House (1590s): Built by the Clerk of the Cheque at Chatham Dockyard, it is an excellent example of a Grade II listed Elizabethan town house. It is referred to by Dickens in the Pickwick Papersand is part of a Heritage Lottery Fund bid. Dickens’ writing chalet can be seen in Eastgate’s gardens.

• The Historic Dockyard and the Royal Engineers: For four centuries, Chatham Dockyard was one of Britain’s premier naval bases, defended by impressive fortifications. It is today the world’s most complete dockyard from the age of sail. The Royal Engineers were established in Medway in 1812, and Medway is proud to remain the home of the Royal School of Military Engineering. Chatham Dockyard and its Defences has been shortlisted by government as a potential World Heritage Site.

• Museums: Medway is home to several world-class museums, on a range of fascinating topics. These include Dickens World, the Guildhall, the nationally-designated Royal Engineers Museum, and the varied attractions at The Historic Dockyard.



† Source: Tourism South East



Upnor Castle, now illuminated at night, was originally built on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 as a gunfort to defend her warships at anchor in the reaches of the River Medway and Chatham Dockyard.

Rochester Guildhall, built in 1687, is one of the finest 17th-century civic buildings in the south-east. The museumwas founded in 1897, in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

Medway is home to the renowned Textus Roffensis, the pricelessmanuscript that inspired the world famous Magna Carta. The historicwork was written in 1123 AD and contains the first written record of the English language. Written by a monk, the work – which has the full name of the Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum Episcopum meaning ‘the Book of the Church of Rochester throughBishop Ernulf' - is held at Rochester Cathedral.

Another tourist attraction is Medway’s link to key historical figures such as Charles Dickens and Admiral Lord Nelson. Dickens lived in Chatham as a boy and returned in later life to live near Rochester.Many of the buildings and landscapes of Medway feature in his novels and this is a key driver inattracting visitors. His legacy is celebrated with two large Dickensian festivals each year as well as therecent development of the £60 million Dickens World complex at Chatham Maritime. Medway will beheavily involved in Dickens’ bicentenary celebrations in 2012 as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

There are 800 hotel bedrooms in Medway with a further 500 bedrooms planned at hotel developmentsites. Business tourism remains a major element of the visitor economy and there are plans for aregional waterfront hotel and conference venue at Rochester Riverside. In recent years ChathamMaritime has emerged as a dynamic cultural waterfront dining area alongside leisure complexes,shopping outlets and marinas.

Medway has also invested heavily in visitor facilities. The award-winning Medway Visitor InformationCentre is one of the largest and most prestigious information centres in the country welcomingapproximately 300,000 visitors a year. This is linked to a coach drop-off point and coach park.Medway has already won many awards for its coach park and its work with the travel trade. And itwas voted the most coach friendly destination in the UK Coach Awards. Medway’s sustainabilitycredentials are further enhanced through its marketing with train operators resulting in one in fivevisitors arriving by rail.

Medway is not just an urban destination, it includes spectacular rural alternatives for visitors to enjoy.For instance, it has some of the best bird watching in the UK at RSPB sites on the Hoo peninsula.These are complemented by several country parks, a large urban park in the form of the Great LinesHeritage Park and rural walks such as the Saxon Shore Way and parts of the Kent Downs.

The busy river Medway hosts a variety of marinas and boat clubs with regular regattas and riverevents. It is also home to several river trip vessels such the Kingswear Castle paddle steamer – the lastsurviving coal-fired paddle steamer in the UK. There are also several ships under restoration such asthe LV21 lightship and the Medway Queen paddle steamer.



Iconic Norman castleand the country’s second oldest cathedral

Tourism worth£286m to the localeconomy annually



Restoration House in Rochester was visited by Charles II in May 1660 en route from Dover to London for hisrestoration as King after 15 years in exile. It is believed to be the inspiration for Miss Havisham's house in CharlesDickens' Great Expectations. Simon Jenkins of the Times newspaper observed that "There is no finer pre-civil wartown house than this in England".

HMS Gannet, a sloop of the Victorian Royal Navy, was built on the River Medway in 1878 and is now open to visitors as part of the Historic Dockyard, Chatham.

With such a vibrant and varied heritage, Medway is proud of its history and its close links to some ofthe United Kingdom’s most famous figures:

• Medway was the birthplace of Will Adams (1564), the first Englishman to reach Japan and the inspiration for James Clavell’s Shogun. He was christened in St Mary Magdelene Church, Gillingham, which survives today.

• HMS Victory – Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar – was built at Chatham Dockyard in 1765.

• Medway is home to 780 listed buildings and 72 scheduled monuments. Grade I listed buildings include Restoration House (named because King Charles II stayed there on his way to reclaim England's throne), Cooling Castle, the Guildhall and Corn Exchange.

• The Historic Dockyard, Chatham has the greatest concentration of listed buildings in the country.

• Sir Francis Drake’s father was the vicar of Upchurch and prayer-reader to the fleet. Drake learnt his early sailing skills in the Chatham area – skills which eventually enabled him to sail round the world in the Golden Hind.

• The Chatham Naval Memorial is inscribed with the names of more than 18,500 Royal Naval personnel lost at sea.

• Medway welcomed 30,000 residents and visitors to the nation’s inaugural National Armed Forces Day in 2009, and was proud to host a parade and thanksgiving service celebrating the 150th anniversary of the cadet movement in 2010.

• Medway has a long and proud association with HMS Chatham, and hosted a Freedom March to commemorate her decommissioning in 2011.



Historic Dockyardwhich built Nelson’s flagshipHMS Victory



The Vines in Rochester is one of Medway's four parks and open spaces that have been awarded Green Flags assome of the best parks and open spaces in the country.

The old bridge at Rochester was built in 1856 by the Rochester Bridge Trust which has built and maintained numerouscrossings of the River Medway since medieval times. Near the bridge lies the Royal and Victoria Bull Hotel, a coachinginn and posting house, where Princess Victoria stayed overnight in 1836 - the year before she became Queen.



Rochester's Eastgate House was built in the 1590s and features as the Nun's House in Dickens's novel, ThePickwick Papers. Medway Council has received initial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a £1million bid to carry out work at Eastgate House and turn it into an exhibition space as part of the developmentof a cultural quarter in Rochester.

No.1 Smithery: National Treasure Inspiring Culture is a joint project between Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust,the National Maritime Museum and the Imperial War Museum. It showcases unique and previously unseen maritime artefacts, national and international touring art, and education areas and interactive family learning andentertainment spaces that inspire visitors of all ages.



Rochester Castle Gardens is the venue for the Castle Concerts series, culminating in a spectacular finale featuringthe Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

A stunning finale to the Fuse Medway Festival 2010 featuring LV21 - a 40 metre steel-hulled lightship being transformed into a floating cultural facility in Medway.

A busy diary of events and festivals

Medway hosts more than 28 days of free festivals and events each year, comprising some of the region’s most renowned events. Medway’s festivals and events include:

Dickens Festival: Now in it’s 34th year, the Dickens Festival is held over the first weekend of Juneand attracts more than 60,000 people to celebrate Medway’s association with one of England’s mostrespected and best-loved authors.

Castle Concerts: Regarded as one of the most successful music events in the regional calendar,the sell-out Castle Concerts regularly host chart-topping acts, such as Mcfly, Will Young and The Saturdays, as well as established performers like Van Morrison, Status Quo and Jools Holland.The finale, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, lasers, water fountains, cannon and fireworks isa spectacular end to a great event. The concerts are enjoyed by more than 15,000 people each year.

FUSE Festival: A free, outdoor arts festival it combines “cutting edge with community”, drawing onthe best talent Medway has to offer and showcasing the newest and most innovative arts from theUK and the rest of the world.

Sweeps Festival: The Sweeps Festival, held over the weekend of the spring bank holiday

attracts more than 100 morris teams and 30,000 visitors each day, making it the biggest festival of itskind in the world.

Chinese New Year Celebrations: Organised by Medway’s Chinese community and one of thelargest outside London. It involves hundreds of costumed characters who proudly parade and enter-tain visitors in the centre of Chatham, accompanied by dragons and lions.

The English Festival: Enjoyed by more than 11,000 people, The English Festival celebrates St.George’s Day through a series of events and activities, traditionally associated with all things English.

Will Adams Festival: The festival celebrates the area’s association with the famous mariner who first established trade links with Japan. More than 5,000 people attend the Will Adams Festival eachyear and participate in activities including martial arts, calligraphy, origami and our world famous teaceremony. The festival also allows people to experience the cuisine and culture of Japan.

Dickensian Christmas Festival: Held over the first weekend in December, more than 80,000attend this festival based on the Dickensian view of Christmas. It depicts all the activities associatedwith the build up to Christmas from the viewpoint of the Victorian era. The festival includes charactersfrom Christmas Carol, the biggest German-style Christmas market in the south-east, carol concertsand a host of costumed characters.

2012 - Medway's year of celebrations: Dickens' bicentenary, 200 years since the founding ofthe Royal Engineers in Medway, potential submission of a World Heritage site bid, London 2012 andthe Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee will mean a spectacular year of celebrations in Medway.



28 days of free festivalsand events each year



David Bellamy OBE officially opening the 561 acre nature reserve and working farm at Ranscombe Farm andhailing it as "the Medway miracle".

Green Flag award winning Riverside Country Park covers 100 hectares alongside the Medway Estuary. There arevarious habitats within the park, including mudflats and salt marsh, ponds and reed-beds, grassland and scrub,which provide a haven for wildlife.

A natural environment to be proud of

Medway enjoys a stunning natural setting. The chalk slopes of the Kent Downs form the backdrop tothe south, and the River Medway cuts through the chalk hills before opening up into the wide estuaryand marshes that link to the River Thames.

Views of the hills, river and marshes accompany people as they move around Medway. The dramaticchalk hills of the downs and the wild open vistas of the estuaries and marshes define Medway’ssense of place. Our green spaces connect the city to the countryside.

Medway’s green spaces reflect its rich natural and cultural heritage, and offer great opportunities forlocal people and visitors to enjoy the landscape, wildlife and views, and to relax and exercise.

Our marshes and estuaries are of global importance and support around 300,000 wintering wetlandbirds, which feed on Medway’s mudflats and saltings.

The countryside of Medway supports numerous rare and protected species – including orchids on the chalk grassland and the corncockle at Ranscombe Farm.

Medway’s green spaces link the area to its past. The diverse sites include the ancient vineyards of themonks in Rochester, the forts built to defend the dockyard, and the old brickwork sites by the river.Medway’s green spaces are also places for the future, with improvements to parks and open spacescatering for the needs of growing communities and visitors.

Recent green space improvements have seen the development of footpath and cycleway networks;provision of play facilities to cater for all – from toddlers to teenagers; community orchards; andimproving areas for wildlife.

There is a strong and varied network of green spaces in Medway:

• 1,900 hectares in size;• 24 recreation grounds;• 16 parks and gardens;• two country parks and one farm reserve;• 48 natural green space areas;• 117 play spaces;• 36 allotment sites with more than 1,200 allotments.

The Great Lines Heritage Park exemplifies the link between Medway’s historic legacy and itsambitious future development. This key site, based on the historic fortifications of the Chatham Linesand their field of fire, is included in the proposed World Heritage Site, and forms a key part of theregeneration vision for the centre of the city of Medway. Investment of £2million in recent years hasimproved access, security and land management, increasing use of the site, and moving towardsachieving our vision for a world-class park for Medway.



World-renowned marshes,estuaries and green spaces



The Medway estuary has special protection as part of the Medway Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI) and is internationally important for wintering birds that thrive on the invertebrate-rich mudflats.

Cliffe Pools nature reserve on the Hoo peninsula offers a spectacular landscape of open water and big skies. Thereserve is one of the most important places for wildlife in the UK with huge flocks of wading birds and waterfowl.

Riverside Country Park covers 100 hectares alongside the Medway estuary. There are varioushabitats within the park, including mudflats, salt marshes, ponds, reed beds, grassland and scrub, allof which provide a haven for wildlife.

Capstone Farm Country Park covers 114 hectares of former farmland set on the North Downs. There is a variety of habitats within the park, including ancient woodlands, old orchards, a freshwater lake, meadows and hedgerows. The park is typical of the rolling landscape of the NorthDowns and many of the woods and hedgerows are hundreds of years old. A range of new cycling,running and horse riding routes have been established at the park to broaden the range of leisureopportunities available.

Ranscombe Farm is 229 hectares in size. With more than six miles of public footpaths, it offersexcellent opportunities to enjoy tranquil walks in an attractive rural landscape that is part of the KentDowns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area was opened by Professor David Bellamy in2005 and is now managed in partnership with Plantlife with the aim of improving opportunities forpublic access and conserving and enhancing biodiversity, while maintaining the working farmlandscape and its historic pattern of woods and fields. Ranscombe Farm is one of British botany’sclassic sites.

Green spaces in Medway are truly community venues, and are used to hold a range of events asvaried as gardening, wildlife, BMX biking and arts and crafts. These events are attended by more than25,000 residents annually. There is also an active education programme attached to the parks.

Medway’s green spaces are enjoyed by many, attracting more than 1.5million visitors annually. Foursites have achieved Green Flag awards – a nationally recognised scheme for high quality parks andopen spaces.

The shared value felt for Medway’s green spaces is seen in the strong support of local people andreflected in the vibrant and expanding network of ‘Friends of Groups’. There are 23 ‘Friends ofGroups’, made up of people passionate about their local green spaces, who work with the council inlooking after the parks. Medway Council also works with environmental organisations, such as theRSPB and Kent Wildlife Trust, in opening access to other countryside sites and promoting the specialqualities of the natural environment.



Medway’s two countryparks attract more than500,000 visits a year



Medway is proud to be home to Gillingham Football Club - Kent's only team in the Football League. In 2012 the clubwill celebrate 100 years since it adopted the name Gillingham Football Club having originally been formed in 1893.

The Tour de France peloton passing Medway's new police station, part of the successful regeneration of ChathamMaritime and Gillingham waterfront, as part of the stage 1 route from London to Canterbury on Sunday, 8 July 2007.

Leisure and sporting opportunities for all

From Wembley to the World Cup…and now the Olympics. Medway has a burgeoning reputation as asporting centre of international repute.

Since the introduction of Football League play-offs, Wembley has become a second home forGillingham Football Club. Three times since 1999 the club has made it to the play-off finals, returninghome victorious twice, the last in 2008.

While the Gills travelled to Wembley for their moments of glory, the sporting world has come to Medwayfor major competitions. In 2007, Medway’s cars gave way to the Tour de France as it raced through onthe first stage of its annual sporting pilgrimage.

Then, in 2010, Medway played host to the Modern Pentathlon World Cup bringing Olympic and worldchampions here in the gruelling five-sport competition to find the ultimate sportsperson as describedby Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games. The success of the world cup wassuch that in 2011 Medway will host the Modern Pentathlon European Championships – the mostprestigious event in the sport’s calendar this year as it is an official Olympic qualifier with the top eightmen and women booking their places at London in 2012.

Both pentathlon events were staged at Medway Park, the £11m regional centre of sportingexcellence opened in April 2010. Built in partnership with the University of Kent – which has aspecialist sports therapy and sports science centre on site - and part-funded by government andSport England, Medway Park provides international quality facilities for use by the community.

It is a bricks-and-mortar demonstration of the commitment Medway has to delivering the sportinglegacy so talked about when London won the bid to stage the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

That commitment is shown in a number of ways, including:• development of the Mini Youth Games series of competitions for primary school pupils;• launching the Medway Festival of Sport, combining competitive sporting events with opportunities

to increase participation by all;• supporting Medway’s many sports clubs and introducing a range of new disability sport clubs;• continuation of free swimming for under 11s and over 60s, funded by the council;• launching the Medway Coaching Academy, which has been awarded a 2012 Inspire Mark;• launching the Medway Sporting Academy, to identify and nurture future sporting stars;• introducing the Our Medway 2012 schools curriculum, an Inspire Mark project with more than

70 Medway primary schools participating.

While Medway Park has become the focal point for much of this activity, it is one of seven leisurecentres in Medway run by the local authority providing a wide range of activities. Medway's leisurecentres attract over 2.5million visits per year. There is also an extensive range of private sector gymsand sporting facilities as befits a city of Medway’s size.

And, of course, there is also the river. Home to a range of watersports clubs whether for competitivepurposes or merely for healthy relaxation. Medway even has its own boat race! It may not rival Oxford v Cambridge, but the annual inter-university competition has proved increasingly popularsince its introduction four years ago.





People in Medway are used to enjoying world-class sporting events, including the Modern Pentathlon World Cup 2010 when Medway Park was the venue for this event. In summer 2011 Medway Park will host the Olympic-qualifying Modern Pentathlon European Championships, while in summer 2012 the venue will welcomemore than 700 competitors in the British Transplant Games.

Cozenton Wheel Park in Rainham, has been developed with in-line skaters, skateboarders, BMX and trial bikes in mind. It is part of Cozenton Park - a park and plant nursery where thousands of visitors each year attend thepopular Medway Flower Fair organised by Hadlow College.



Residents and visitors can relax in beautiful historic surroundings while enjoying one of Rochester’s many restaurants, bistros, cafes or tea rooms.

Situated on the Hoo peninsula, with breathtaking views of the Medway estuary, Deangate Ridge Golf Club is oneof the finest municipal golf courses in Kent. It is one of two golf courses in Medway.



The celebration of the Chinese New Year in Medway has emerged from a small Chinese community event into thethird largest celebration of its kind in the United Kingdom, involving the whole Medway community.

In one of many street parties in Medway, the residents of Allington Drive in Strood celebrate the wedding of HRHPrince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011. Image courtesy of Medway Messenger.

Volunteering and community organisations

Medway has a vibrant and thriving voluntary and community sector. There are currently more than580 voluntary and community organisations in Medway† ; these organisations cover a wide rangefrom small, grassroots community groups to branches of national charities.

While Medway Council provides funding support to these groups of more than £2.3 million annually,there is a large number of organisations getting on with the job of supporting the people of Medwayand providing opportunities for enjoyment and achievement without funding from the council andother statutory organisations in the city.

However Medway would not be the place it is today without the hard work and commitment ofvolunteers working in the sector. Voluntary and community groups are the glue that holds diversecommunities together, working genuinely at the heart of their communities. They promote community cohesion, a sense of belonging and meet the needs of sometimes marginalised anddisparate groups.

For a city with a population of more than 250,000 people Medway is distinct in the vibrancy of itscommunity and volunteer groups. Indeed Martin Featherstone, Chief Executive of Medway's Councilfor Voluntary Service notes that "a key strength in Medway is its diversity and the many voluntarygroups that were established to represent particular community or faith groups."

Organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), theVolunteer Bureaux in Rochester and Gillingham, Medway Carers Centre and the Medway MediationService form the backbone of the sector in Medway. They help smaller organisations emerge andgrow through training, support and guidance in securing funding from a wide range of sources.

But Medway's commitment to volunteering and the "Big Society" concept goes well beyond thesevalued community groups. The city's hundreds of sporting clubs and teams help people of all ages inMedway learn and develop sporting skills and fitness thanks to the thousands of hours contributedby trained sporting coaches.

A good example of how volunteering makes a real difference to people living in Medway is theMedway SOS Bus. This is a converted single decked bus run by CVS Medway. Launched in 2009, ithas the latest medical, counselling, chill out/waiting area, customer service and other communityfacilities including TVs on board. The bus delivers a daytime service providing a wide variety ofinformation, support and help to community groups. However, its main role is to provide a safe havenfor vulnerable people, irrespective of their age, race, sexual orientation or religion between 9pm and3am on a Friday and Saturday night in Medway.

Medway's SOS bus service volunteers have saved the NHS significant sums in A&E admissions andambulance call outs since the project launched. More than 1,000 people have used the servicesprovided by the bus volunteers since 2009. The majority of visitors have used it as a safe refuge whilethey wait for taxis or lifts home while others have sought advice and information or used it as alandmark location for meeting up with friends.



† Source: Medway Council Community and Voluntary Sector Strategy 2010



The award-winning £10million Drill Hall library at Chatham Maritime is open to Medway's students and residents.The building, at 184 metres long, is the longest library in Europe and contains 2.7 miles of shelving.

Pupils at Thames View Infant and Junior Schools getting building under way as part of Medway's multi-million poundprogramme of primary school rebuilding work.

The best start for our children and young people

Our vision for children and young people as set out in our Children and Young People’s plan is:

“Every child deserves to be safe and loved and have a happy and healthy childhood, free from harm.Every child should also have the chance to make the most of their promise and potential.”

The city has around 65,000 children and young people. There are 82 primary schools, 17 secondaryschools and four special schools.

Thanks to a £75million investment under the academy programme, major building work is underway to provide new buildings for the Strood Academy, Bishop of Rochester Academy andBrompton Academy.

Capital investment in Medway’s schools is planned, with a number of funding streams joined up toensure the maximum value for our investment. We have recently begun projects to significantly remodeland rebuild seven primary schools in Medway, with more than £15million of combined investment.

All of these capital projects will deliver our aims of creating schools for the 21st century, with the verybest learning environments and improved facilities that will benefit children across Medway, as wellas their families and the community.

In addition, capital investment has developed a network of 19 Sure Start children’s centres, with allbut one at primary schools, that host a range of health, learning, care and guidance services for veryyoung children and their parents and carers. We have also expanded the proportion of schoolsoffering an integrated Foundation Stage of learning from the age of three – helping to raise standardsat Foundation Stage and ultimately Key Stage 1 and beyond.

But the strength of Medway’s schools isn’t just about the facilities they provide.

This year, Medway schools celebrated their best ever GCSE results - the sixth year in a row theresults have improved. A greater number of Medway students have gained five or more GCSE (orequivalent) passes at A* to C grades than ever before, and have exceeded the national average.

In the exams taken in summer 2010, 77 per cent of Medway pupils achieved the target of five A* to Cgrades or equivalent at GCSE, compared to 71 per cent the previous year - a rise of six per cent.

This is higher than the national average for 2009/10 where 75 per cent in any given school achievedfive A*to C grades at GCSE or equivalent.

Medway’s schools also exceed the national average for the number of students achieving five ormore GCSE (or equivalent) grades at A* to C including English and Mathematics. At 53.6 per cent, theresults are up on the national average of 53.4 per cent and almost two per cent higher than last year’saverage for Medway of 51.7 per cent.





The Pilkington Building at the Universities of Medway campus at Chatham Maritime, converted from the formernaval canteen, contains a lecture theatre, exhibition space, teaching rooms, a bistro-style café and the base forthe Universities at Medway Student Association.

The University for the Creative Arts has around 1,000 students in Medway. As well as specialist studios, equipmentand software the campus boasts a wide range of industry standard facilities including state-of-the-art fashiontechnology - offered by only two other fashion departments in the country.

The number of students achieving five or more GCSE (or equivalent) passes at A* to G grades. At 95 per cent, this matches the national average and is higher than the regional average across thesouth-east of 94 per cent.

Medway’s results for post-16 exams were also the best Medway has seen, and improved for thefourth year in a row. On the measure of the average total points scored by each student, Medway’sperformance improved significantly, with an increase of 35 points from last year. This took Medway’saverage points per student to 733.2, higher than the national average of 726.

The educational opportunities for young people extend beyond Medway’s schools. MidKent Collegehas more than 2,800 16-18 year old students studying at its brand new Medway campus in Gillingham.

This new £86million campus was inaugurated by HRH The Princess Royal in 2010. During her visitshe viewed archive photographs taken of the Duke of Edinburgh when he officially opened thecollege’s former Fort Horsted site in Chatham in 1955.

The campus now houses state-of-the-art new buildings providing people living in and aroundMedway with access to some of the best vocational training facilities in the country, including those inhair design, holistic therapies, engineering, catering and performing arts.

Another of Medway’s education success stories has been the creation of the Universities at Medway.In 1995, Medway had no university students and young people wanting to study at university had toleave Medway and study elsewhere. In 2002, Her Majesty the Queen inaugurated the newUniversities of Medway campus at Chatham Maritime.

Since then, thanks to the unique partnership between the University of Greenwich, the University ofKent, Canterbury Christ Church University and MidKent College at the shared campus, and theUniversity for the Creative Arts campus at Rochester, Medway now has about 12,000 students inhigher education.

One of the driving forces behind the £120million Universities at Medway initiative was the commondesire to open up higher education to as many people as possible. The partners welcomeapplications from people without traditional qualifications, as well as from those entering highereducation through a more formal route. Each partner is also committed to the highest standards ofteaching and support services expected by students in the 21st Century.

Apprenticeships are also an important part of improving the prospects of Medway's young people.The area currently has around 1,500 apprentices aged 16 to 24 years old and more than 200 different types of apprenticeships in place. In May 2011 Medway launched a challenge to recruit 100 apprentices in 100 days.

These apprenticeships are split between the workplace and college or university, and can last fromone to three years and cover an array of trades and professions, from accounting and administrationto hairdressing and joinery.





The crew of HMS Chatham parades through Medway in February 2011 before the ship was decommissioned.

The St George's Church at the former HMS Pembroke Royal Navy Barracks in Chatham Maritime has been convertedinto a conference and event centre. The building features many naval memorials including a stained glass window unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) on 29 October 1950 to commemorate Chatham-based shipsthat were lost in World War II. The centre is also now the venue for meetings of Medway Council.

How the council worksMedway Council is a unitary authority consisting of 55 councillors, representing 22 wards. Thesemeet together as the full council. Here councillors agree the council’s overall policies and set thebudget each year, as well as considering other matters that are reserved for the full council. Time isalso set aside for local people to ask questions and for councillors to submit topics for debate.

Each year the councillors elect Medway’s mayor. The mayor is the civic figurehead and also chairscouncil meetings. Since October 2001, the council has had a Leader and Cabinet structure. TheCabinet is responsible for proposing the policy framework and budget to full council and for taking in-year decisions on resources and priorities.

The Cabinet consists of the Leader of the council and nine other elected members. Each Cabinetmember has a portfolio of responsibilities although decisions are taken collectively at Cabinetmeetings. The Cabinet’s Forward Plan gives residents the opportunity to comment on the issues thatthe Cabinet is tackling.

There are four Overview and Scrutiny Committees, which play a key role in developing and reviewingpolicy and holding the Cabinet to account. They allow councillors and local people to have a greaterinvolvement in council matters by holding public inquiries into issues of local concern. The committeesalso have powers to scrutinise the activities and decisions of partner organisations, such as the NHS.

Regulatory committees deal with matters that cannot be dealt with by Cabinet, such as thedetermination of applications for planning permission. There are also committees that must be set upunder specific legislation, such as a licensing committee.

Providing services to Medway residents in partnership with other public sector bodies and thevoluntary and community sector is fundamental to Medway’s success. Last year, all partners in thearea agreed the Sustainable Community Strategy 2011-2026. This sets out the strategic direction forthe area. To deliver on the priorities for Medway, partners have agreed to focus on outcomes, shareinformation effectively, undertake effective engagement and communication with the community, andto ensure resources are being effectively deployed.

Medway also has 11 parish councils, covering the rural areas on the Hoo peninsula and the upperreaches of the River Medway. The Medway Rural Liaison Committee meets regularly to bring togetherelected members from both the council and the parish councils to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Importantly, the council welcomes participation by local people in its work and wants to hear their views.Local residents are represented and involved in the work of the council and partners in a number of wayssuch as the Learning Disability Partnership Board and the Young Inspectors and Young Commissioners. Inaddition to a number of general rights, such as voting in local elections and contacting their localcouncillor about any matters of concern, the public are encouraged to attend meetings, participate in thecouncil’s question time and contribute to investigations by the Overview and Scrutiny committees. Theyare also able to submit petitions to the council and receive responses under the council petitions scheme.

Medway Youth Parliament is an elected body that represents young people in Medway. Withrepresentatives from Medway's secondary schools and youth groups the parliament works withdecision makers on different issues across a number of organisations. The parliament's mainobjective is to get young people’s voices heard in decisions in Medway.





Backing the bidHere are just a few of the organisations that are backing Medway's bid for city status in 2012.

KentArchitectureCentre


Medway Council would like to thank Veolia Environmental Services (UK) plcfor their kind support of Medway's City Status Bid 2012.

Communications and Marketing, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, ME4 4TR. Email: [email protected]

Documents

Medway City Status Bid 2012