Medway Council and Berkeley Homes have run into delays in finalising the details of their partnering deal for the £100m regeneration of the riverside area of Rochester in Kent.
The two parties failed to sign the development agreement to formalise the relationship as planned in the summer. The aim now is to sign the agreement in October.
Colin Lovell, Medway council’s regeneration manager, was unconcerned by the delay as the deal to revamp the riverside area site was for eight to 10 years. He said: “It is a complicated development agreement and a partnership of this nature means it takes this length of time to finalise.”
Neoclassical architect Demetri Porphyrios was asked by Berkeley Homes to masterplan the scheme in March. The practice is leading the design team, along with HTA Associates. The scheme will involve clearing 32 ha of land, including gasworks and industrial buildings close to Rochester’s city centre.
Plans for the site include houses, a hotel and conference centre, and retail and office space.
Last year urban taskforce chairman Lord Rogers hailed the scheme as a flagship regeneration project. Medway council has earmarked a minimum of 900 homes for the scheme.
