Rochester Riverside Community Board

Annual budget of £30,000 available for local projects

A community board has been set up at Rochester Riverside, Countryside and Hyde’s £419m regeneration scheme in Medway, to ensure that the benefits of the landmark development are felt across Rochester.

The Rochester Riverside Community Board will oversee funding for community projects across Rochester. With an annual budget of £30,000 available for selected projects, the Board will help to bring to life worthwhile initiatives and ideas that will enhance the local area, cementing Rochester’s status as a great place to live.

The Board comprises representatives from Medway Council, Countryside and Hyde, along with local stakeholders, includingabib Tejan, Deputy Mayor for Medway Council and River Ward councillor; Jane Howard, CEO of Medway Voluntary Action; Janet Taylor, CEO of the Pilgrim Multi Academy Trust; Virginie Giles, Medway Place Manager and Dalia Halpern-Matthews, VCS Leaders Chair and CEO of Creating Cultural Capacities. Rochester Riverside residents will also be represented on the board once the first homeowners have moved into the development.

Andy Fancy, Managing Director, Partnerships South (North and South), Countryside, said: “Ensuring that the benefits of Rochester Riverside go beyond the destination we are creating, we are delighted to make this funding available and launch a community board at Rochester Riverside. This Board will play an integral role in ensuring some of the most exciting local projects get the support they need to become a reality. This is a fantastic opportunity for local people to secure funding for projects that will enhance Rochester.”

David Gannicott, Group Director of Business Development for Hyde, said: “This is great news for all those across Rochester who have ideas on how to improve their local area. Legacy and diversity will be at the heart of the application process and we look forward to seeing a whole range of exciting new initiatives come to fruition.”

Cllr Alan Jarrett, Leader of Medway Council, said: “It is fantastic news that not only will the Rochester Riverside development create much needed homes for Medway’s residents, but it will also help fund local community projects. I would encourage residents to apply for funding for projects which will enhance the areas in which they live. Rochester is a great place to live, work, learn and visit and the Rochester Riverside Community Board will be testament to this.”

The community board will ensure that the community funds will be allocated to local stakeholders and organisations through a robust and transparent application process. Application forms and full criteria will become available on the website – www.rochesterriversidecommunity.com – in future months.

Rochester Riverside is the region’s flagship regeneration project. Delivered by Countryside and Hyde over the next 12 years, it will create a new mixed-tenure community of up to 1,400 new homes with provision for a primary school, nursery, as well as a hotel, parking, open space and landscaping.

Construction is well underway on the first three phases of the scheme, comprising 489 homes and a hotel, along with 2,200 sqm of commercial floorspace and landscaping. The first wave of new homes is anticipated to complete in June 2019.