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Creating jobs for local people and attracting companies to
move into one of  Kent's most deprived areas are the reasons
behind a unique joint venture.
Kent County Council and Thanet District Council have established
the first property related collaboration between a county and a
district. This innovative joint venture partnership seeks to
stimulate the regeneration of Thanet and the wider east Kent
economy.
It will be jointly developing and marketing their pooled
property interests and creating an environment that will attract
high quality companies and jobs in a phased and coordinated
manner.
Maximising the potential of the combined sites will create a
strong economic development catalyst for this economically deprived
part of the county. Manston Park, in a prime position alongside
Manston International Airport and having been under-developed for a
number of years until KCC's purchase in 2006, is a prime site for
business use where a number of major companies already operate.
EuroKent is a strategic site between the retail and leisure hub
to the north at Westwood Cross and the new Marlowe Academy School
and deprived communities to the south where the most appropriate
balance between commercial and residential uses is now being
explored.
Appropriate provision of utilities is being assessed and
provided at both sites through the East Kent Spatial Development
Company (EKSDC) to enable development and shared costs for end
users. (KCC is a founder member of the EKSDC specifically
established to forward fund infrastructure provision thus unlocking
development site potential).
Initial work is already underway on site to prepare the ground
for development. A vital new access road for EuroKent costing
£5million plus is due for completion in autumn 2008.
The initial masterplan work, which promoted the need for
co-ordinated planning and joint promotion of the two sites, is
complete, and a small dedicated implementation team is now in
place. Advisers are engaged to prepare planning, marketing and
development partnering strategies.
The joint venture company is a true partnership with equal
representation and assets committed to the joint venture. It will
steer the development of the two sites within the broader context
of emerging economic regeneration opportunities in East Kent. This
includes development at the airpor; potential major inward
investment in the area by Chinamex; the off-shore wind farm
potential; and the Port of Ramsgate's role in the construction and
maintenance.
KCC is working on a number of other projects in Thanet to boost
the area. These include the major art gallery for Turner
Contemporary; a £17.4million development on Margate seafront; and
the East Kent Access Road (phase 2 costing around £65m) will be
built to the south of Manston to ease congestion and encourage
further investment. |