Swale stretches from the busy town of Sittingbourne to the rural market town of Faversham and the Isle of Sheppey. Swale Forward, the area’s regeneration partnership, co-ordinates the area’s major multi-million pound investment programme. The organisation’s priorities are focused on achieving a lasting improvement in the economic, social and environmental profile of the borough.
Regeneration is starting to flourish in Swale, following the opening of the new Sheppey Crossing in summer 2006. This provides a dual carriageway link between the Isle of Sheppey and the rest of Kent, and has significantly reduced journey times to and from the island.
The Sheppey Crossing opens up the development of Queenborough and Rushenden, Swale’s largest single mixed use development. This will deliver up to 2,000 new homes and around 180,000m² (1.9mft²) of new employment floorspace, including a major regional distribution centre. Following a nationally acclaimed community engagement process, the masterplan for Queenborough and Rushenden will be published for consultation later in 2007, and work is due to start on a new road to serve the development in early 2008.
At Sittingbourne, Swale’s largest town, work is under way with English Partnerships to develop a masterplan for the town centre, involving significant retail and residential expansion. Development of the town centre will come forward following the completion of Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road, which will greatly improve access to the town centre and the business parks at Eurolink and Kemsley Fields. |
Sheppey Crossing
To the south of Sittingbourne, Kent Science Park offers a business location of regional significance for knowledge-based technology industries, in particular those involved in the life sciences. From 2007, the science park will be home to Kent Science Resource Centre, Swale’s first higher education facility specialising in degree level courses and training opportunities aimed at the biotech and pharmaceutical sector in the South East.
Swale is also home to the Port of Sheerness, part of the Thames Gateway’s ports cluster, and one of the UK’s most significant ports in the fresh produce and automobile import sectors. Sheerness itself has the potential for significant regeneration, and a regeneration strategy for the town is well under way.
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