Carvil is assisting the business operating at Chatham Docks in fighting Peel Land & Property’s plans to close Chatham Docks and save the 800 jobs currently based there. 

Medway Council is currently working to produce a new development plan that will set a framework for the area’s growth up to 2037.  In preparing the Medway Local Plan 2018-2037 (MLP 2037), Medway Council prepared a Strategic Land Availability Assessment (SLAA) in 2018 to demonstrate the availability of potential development sites within their administrative boundary.  Included with the SLAA 2018 was Chatham Docks that had been put forward by Peel to provide a range of uses including housing, retail and leisure.  In particular, site 824, an area of 29-45 hectares that contains ArcelorMittal Kent Wire’s current site as well as site 1143, the current Chatham Waters development, was identified. 

To date, Carvil has helped form of the Association of Chatham Docks Commercial Operators (ACDCO), arranged meetings with key local stakeholders including the local MP, key councillors at Medway Council and the local community, hosted the Save Chatham Docks website (www.savechathamdocks.co.uk) and obtained positive local press and TV coverage for the campaign.  In building a cross-party coalition to save Chatham Docks, the campaign to Save Chatham Docks has received the support of the Leader of the Opposition, Kier Starmer, MP, been raised at Prime Minister’s Question time, and been led the subject of a Adjournment Debate, raised by local Kelly Tolhurst, MP.  In addition, a series of document have been published supporting the case to retain Chatham Docks. As a result of all this work, Medway Council dropped its current Local Plan proposals which included building 3,600 flats on Chatham Docks as it recognised that its plans do not have the support of a majority of councillors. The fight save the Chatham Docks continues.

Going forward the focus of the campaign is now to promote an alternative vision for the Docks and with that in mind the “Future Chatham Docks masterplan” was launched in July 2022.  This alternative vision is now being consulted with key stakeholders at Medway Council and in the local community.

With a new Labour Council elected in May 2023 consultation has now started on a new Local Plan.  ACDCO continue to press for the Docks to retained as a working port. In addition, Peel Waters submitted plans for a commercial scheme on the land to the south of Basin 3 that ACDCO has been objecting to.  To date, Medway Council has received over 165 objections to this planning application with the numbers still growing.