North Kent Environment Programme

Project summary
Swale has the longest coastline of any district in Kent, including areas of national importance for wading birds and other wildlife. As the main urban areas are expanded and transport infrastructure is improved, there is a need to counterbalance this development by investing in the protection and enhancement of the boroughs green areas.

North Kent Regional Park: This is a major initiative building on existing projects across North Kent. A Regional Park scoping study is currently under way and is due to report in May 2004.

Green Grid: This aims to create a comprehensive network of green spaces and corridors across the urban areas of North Kent, linking with the surrounding countryside. As well as a major impact on the quality of the environment, ecological diversity and wildlife habitat conservation are key aims, along with a strong emphasis on community involvement.

Sustainable Urban Design: This aims to promote high standards of urban design in the regeneration process. This will involve creating and improving public squares and open spaces, building homes to new sustainability standards and new beacon projects.

ODPM allocation: £4,700,000 (across North Kent)
Accountable body: Kent County Council

Sustainable Communities

Project summary
As the population of Swale expands, there is a clear need to provide additional community facilities and provision for voluntary and community activity.

Across North Kent, ODPM funding is supporting two projects:

Community Learning Centres: This aims to achieve a network of learning centres offering IT, numeracy and literacy skills and access to learning in a welcoming environment in a number of targeted locations across North Kent.

Community Enterprise Hubs: This project aims to create three Community Enterprise Hubs in North Kent, including one in Swale. These will provide 'back office' functions for the whole voluntary and community sector and will be linked to satellite centres delivering services to local communities. The hubs will also provide facilities and support for fledgling groups, as well as supporting social enterprises and innovations such as community development trusts.

ODPM allocation: £3,300,000 (across North Kent) £1,100,000 (Swale allocation)

Accountable body: Medway Council
Lead body: Swale Volunteering & Community Development Centre

Kent Education Initiatives

Project summary
A highly skilled workforce is crucial to the long-term success of Swale's economy. To support improvements in learning and skills, two projects are being taken forward across North Kent:

Schools of the Future: This aims to produce a template for putting schools at the heart of the communities they serve, offering a range of provision, from early years to adult, alongside mainstream primary and secondary provision. They will also host complementary services (e.g. local business support, libraries, healthy living centres, etc.)

Gateway Knowledge Alliance: This entails linking all the key learning providers in North Kent together in a comprehensive network system from nursery to higher education - sharing assets, learning resources and best practice and with a student-centred focus to help realise their full potential at all stages and improve employability.

Swale Learning & Skills Strategy: To develop future learning and skills projects in Swale, a Learning & Skills Strategy has been commissioned, using the Swale Forward Implementation Board’s core resources.

ODPM allocation: £1,200,000 (across North Kent)
Accountable bodies: Kent County Council

Queenborough Regeneration

Project summary
The area between Sittingbourne and Sheerness offers significant opportunities for development, particularly given the construction of the new Swale Crossing, due to be completed in 2006. At the same time, there is a clear need for social and community regeneration in the Queenborough and Rushenden area.

This project aims to develop brownfield land to support new housing, community and employment development, while ensuring that there are strong links between existing local communities and the new economic opportunities. The development of new road links will also help to reduce traffic levels in the historic Queenborough town centre.

ODPM funding, via Swale Forward, will provide:
- Feasibility work to facilitate the new Rushenden Link Road to bring forward development
- Funding to assemble and decontaminate land to support mixed-use development at the current Queenborough Industrial Area

ODPM allocation: £7,000,000
Accountable bodies: SEEDA

Kent Science Park

Project summary
Kent Science Park employs 2,000 people in the knowledge-intensive companies. The Centre has already been designated an 'enterprise hub' by the South East England Development Agency, and is one of the most significant science facilities in the region.

This project aims to help expand the Centre to create a science park of national significance, capable of attracting up to 5,000 jobs in high-value growth sectors. It will support the establishment of a bioscience accelerator centre to support business incubation, and will investigate options for improving road access to the Centre.

ODPM funding, via Swale Forward, will provide:
- Capital funding for development of a bioscience accelerator centre
- Funding for a feasibility study for improved road access

ODPM allocation: £1,300,000 (split between the Bioscience Accelerator Centre and the transport feasibility study)
Accountable bodies: SEEDA/ Kent County Council

Main Projects

Funding from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been allocated to the following projects, which Swale Forward co-ordinate. The Two main projects at the moment are the Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road and Sittingbourne Town Centre. Other projects include:

• Kent Science Park (formerly Sittingbourne Research Centre)
• Queenborough Regeneration Initiative
• Environmental Programme
• Education and Skills
• Sustainable Communities

You can download our strategic documents in Key DocumentsFor more information on how Swale Forward is managed, look at Implementation Board