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An update on the future of Innovation Park Medway.

Medway Council’s Cabinet has approved the proposals for the future of the two sites at Innovation Park Medway (IPM).

On Tuesday, 11 March 2025, Medway’s Cabinet approved the recommendations for the development plans for both the northern and southern sites. The agreed development options coming forward are as follows:

Northern site

For the northern site (the largest site), the preferred option that will be taken forward will be for development of a mix of industrial and mid-tech (office and research) commercial space.

Prior to the development taking place at the northern site, Medway’s Cabinet has also agreed to plans to lease the land to BAE Systems until the end of 2028 to support its multi-million-pound upgrade at its Rochester facilities. The land will be used by BAE Systems to temporarily relocate their existing staff park and create a temporary staff car park while facilitating the work on their new state-of-the-art factory later this year.

The decision ensures the northern site will be used over the next few years while work takes place to appoint a development partner and both the creation and submission of a planning application for a mix of industrial and mid-tech (office and research) commercial space for the northern site.

Southern site

For the southern site, we are looking to take forward the development of a viable care home and retirement units. Mid-tech commercial space will also be considered while further market testing for a care home is carried out.

The background

Medway Council took a decision in February 2024 to pause the development plans at IPM. The previous plans included the aspiration for high quality, innovative commercial space for businesses working in technology, precision engineering, manufacturing and support services.

The commercial market has changed quite significantly in the current financial climate and in the wake of COVID-19 and the way businesses now work. We took the opportunity to pause and review the best long-term opportunities for IPM to ensure the most sustainable options would move forward for both sites while also reducing the financial risk to the council.

Last year officers appointed a consultancy to undertake the options assessments for the northern and southern sites alongside analysis of the best delivery mechanism. This has enabled us to present the most viable, sustainable options to the Medway Cabinet.

The benefits of this new development plan: Five reasons why there’s a bright future ahead for IPM

1) Having a development partner: A development partner provides the council with much-valued commercial expertise. This approach has been carried out for our flagship regeneration project at Rochester Riverside, which has seen the council appoint two development partners: Countryside Properties and Hyde Housing. The partners have enabled delivery of over 500 homes, a new school, roads and pathway infrastructure, hotel, convenience store and a riverside walk, helping turn our regeneration plans for the area into reality. We hope to replicate the commercial opportunities and results a development partner can bring to IPM.

2) Cost saving: Both of these approved options to develop the southern and northern sites present positive land values (for both sites) and a significant cost saving to the council of around £25million compared to the previous development plans that were in place prior to last year’s pause of the programme, significantly reducing the financial risk to the council. A budget of just over £2million will enable us to deliver on the approved proposals for both sites.

3) Removing the LDO: The development at IPM was guided under the previous programme by a Local Development Order (LDO), Design Guide and Illustrative Masterplan. Following the Cabinet decision, we are looking to remove the LDO during the next 12 months to ensure that this does not hinder future delivery, reflecting the changing financial market and how businesses now operate, while providing a clearer pathway to development on the new approved options for both sites.

4) Supporting local business: Medway Council remains committed to supporting local businesses grow their workforce to support our local economy. The interim lease of the northern site to BAE Systems enables them to invest £220million to develop a new state-of-the-art factory on its site north of Rochester Airport. The significant renovation is expected to create 300 jobs over the next five years.

5) Sustainable development: The approved options for the northern and southern sites will ensure we have the best long-term development coming forward over the next few years, while we also support a local business in BAE Systems in growing their workforce to further boost our local economy. We can now work through our plans for appointing development partners and the creation of the supporting planning applications.

Infrastructure in place

Completed infrastructure works at the northern site include the creation of access roads, bus stops, footpaths and cycleways, drainage, utilities, lighting, landscaping and street furniture, laying the foundations for the next stage of the development.

The southern site has also seen the installation of lighting, utilities and landscaping, with power works set to be completed shortly.

A sustainable, brighter future for IPM will now come forward to support Medway’s growth plans. More information will be shared on the plans for a development partner for IPM later this year via our website – innovationparkmedway.com

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BEYOND LIMITATION

An inspirational new home for businesses working in technology, precision engineering, manufacturing and highly skilled support services.

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Availability Opportunity Location

Innovation
Park
Medway

Medway Council is delighted to offer this unique opportunity to occupy new build flexible E(g) and B2 office space at Innovation Park Medway.

Innovation Park Medway will offer a plethora of employment land and Grade A business space. There is potential to provide state of the art meeting and conference spaces.

Immediately available development opportunity with fast track LDO planning.

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Designed for collaboration

Set within a vibrant community of creative hubs and unique outdoor spaces to foster an entrepreneurial spirit 

Built for innovation

Fast track planning under a Local Development Order offers the benefit of a quicker and less costly process so your business growth can start today

Created for forward thinkers

Accelerate your business in a place where there are no limits on aspirations and ambition

There’s a temptation in our networked age to think that ideas can be developed by email and iChat. That’s crazy. Creativity comes from spontaneous meetings, from random discussions.

Steve Jobs

Key Features

  • Excellent facilities with ‘google’ style high quality collaboration hubs
  • IPM has fast and easy access to London as well as the rest of the UK and mainland Europe. 
  • Healthy and inspirational place to work offering unique outdoor green spaces with a strong focus on wellbeing and community
  • Design code assurance and planning in place so the build out can support fast growing businesses (turnkey or build out)
  • Choice of purchase and lease options offering flexible business space to match growth and ambition
  • Entry criteria to ensure all tenants meet the set business requirements E(g) and B2

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