High Court clears the way for Chatham Docks redevelopment
What the ruling means for Medway, what’s coming up at Medway council, and everything else you need to know this weekend
Hello and welcome to your Friday briefing.
Before we get into the news, a quick note to say thank you to everyone who sent messages over the past week after Steven’s unexpected stay in hospital. He’s home now and recovering, but will be taking things easy for a little while. As a result, there won’t be a Sunday interview this weekend while he focuses on getting better. Normal service will resume as soon as he’s able.
It’s been one of those weeks where a Medway story that has been rumbling on for years has finally reached a turning point. The long-running legal battle over the future of Chatham Docks is now over, and the next chapter is about to begin.
In today's edition, we have the full story on the High Court ruling at Chatham Docks, what is on the agenda at Full Council next week, a six-storey building in Chatham seeking retrospective planning permission, six people charged over the theft of memorial plaques in Luton, a nearly £700,000 former schoolhouse in Cliffe that could be yours, and everything worth getting out of the house for this weekend.
Let’s get into it.
Legal challenge dismissed as Chatham Docks plans move ahead
After years of argument, protest, lobbying and legal action, the battle over the future of Chatham Docks has reached a decisive moment.
This week, the High Court dismissed a judicial review brought by steel giant ArcelorMittal against Medway Council’s decision to approve the redevelopment of part of the docks, clearing the way for Peel Waters’ long-planned Basin 3 business park.
It means the final legal hurdle facing one of Medway’s most controversial regeneration schemes has now been removed.
A fight over the future of the docks
At the heart of the case is a simple but deeply divisive question: Should Chatham Docks remain a working industrial port, or be transformed into a new business district as part of the wider Chatham Waters regeneration?
ArcelorMittal Kent Wire, which operates a major rebar fabrication facility on the site, has spent years trying to stop the redevelopment. In its High Court challenge, the company warned that losing its base at Chatham would have “seismic adverse consequences” for British industry.
The firm says the Chatham plant supplies around a third of the UK’s reinforcing steel and supports hundreds of jobs, with no viable alternative sites in southern England.
Last month, the company began redundancy consultations for all staff on site.
A spokesperson for ArcelorMittal Kent Wire said at the time that, “We have informed all employees of the decision to enter a consultation process, with all jobs at the site at risk due to the severity and scale of the challenges facing the business.”
What the judge decided
The judicial review focused on whether Medway Council acted lawfully when it approved Peel Waters’ plans for Basin 3 in November 2024, following a planning committee vote.
ArcelorMittal argued the council had granted permission for development that Peel had not applied for, had misled councillors about how much industrial space would be protected, and had misinterpreted its own planning policies for the docks.
The High Court rejected all of those arguments.
Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled that the planning permission was for employment uses only, including research and development, light industrial, general industrial and storage and distribution. It does not authorise primary office use and does not include any residential development.
He also found that councillors had not been materially misled by officers and that the council was entitled to conclude the scheme broadly complied with its employment policies.
The judge stressed that while the project is clearly controversial locally, his role was not to decide whether it was a good idea, only whether the council had acted lawfully. He concluded that it had.
Peel Waters presses ahead
For Peel Waters, the ruling clears the path for the next phase of its Chatham Waters regeneration.
The developer plans to demolish the existing industrial units on the 18-acre Basin 3 site and replace them with a new 31,000sqm employment campus aimed at attracting businesses in sectors such as manufacturing, technology, life sciences and digital.
It says the scheme will create hundreds of new jobs and apprenticeships, triple the number of jobs on the site over time, and open up more than half a kilometre of waterfront to the public for the first time.
Leigh Thomas, development director at Peel Waters, said, “We welcome the decision to dismiss the judicial review and are pleased that Medway Council’s robust approval process has been upheld. This means we can now move forward with our plans for Basin 3, transforming underused brownfield land into a modern, high-quality employment campus that will triple the number of jobs on site and attract businesses aligned with Medway’s growth sectors.”
What this means for Medway
With the legal challenge now dismissed, the future of Basin 3 is no longer a matter for the courts.
For Peel Waters and Medway Council, it means the redevelopment can finally move ahead. For ArcelorMittal’s workforce, it comes as redundancy consultations are already under way and the company prepares to leave the docks.
Basin 3 keeps the land in “employment use.” But it also marks another step in the long retreat of Chatham Docks as a working port, something we'll likely be seeing a lot more of in the coming years.
Council matters
Meetings next week:
- Tuesday: Licensing Hearing Panel will decide whether or not to allow the Kings Head in Rochester to open as late as 2.30am.
- Tuesday: Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss the Housing Revenue Account, various contracts, and the latest S106 agreements.
- Thursday: Full Council meets to discuss the constitution, disposal of Gillingham Business Park and the former Strood Civic Centre site, as well as debate motions on political intimidation, school streets, and shrinking democracy.
New planning applications:
- Chatham: Restrospective planning permission is being sought for the six storey, 34 room student building on The Brook.
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In brief
🏭 Gillingham Business Park has been sold for £6.8m to Zurich Assurance, with a condition that the site can not be converted to housing.
🚔 Six people have been charged following the theft of two World War One memorial plaques from Luton after they were found in an Essex scrapyard.
💊 New data reveals that 170 children in Medway are being treated for drug-use, a 55% increase on last year.
🚚 Residents near a big ugly roundabout near St Mary Hoo are campaigning to make it look less rubbish.
🚒 The Tiger Moth pub near Rochester Airport was forced to temporarily close following an electrical fire.
Property of the week
This former schoolhouse on Buttway Lane in Cliffe is on the market for £700,000 and offers far more space than most homes in Medway. The detached four-bedroom property is arranged over two floors with a basement that's bigger than most flats, multiple reception rooms and a large central kitchen. It sits on the edge of open countryside, with Strood and Rochester still close by. It is a rare type of home for this part of the peninsula, but one that comes with a price tag to match.
Events this week
🎸 Sat 17 Jan - Swansea Sound + The High Span // Indiepop supergroup featuring members of Heavenly, The Pooh Sticks, The Dentists, and more. Rochester Social Club. Pay what you can.
🥕 Sun 18 Jan - Rochester Farmers’ Market // Wide range of traders selling food and gifts. Blue Boar Lane car park, Rochester. Free.
📽️ Wed 21 Jan - ACTionism screening // Film screening and panel discussion about collective action, community, and moving forward. Dragon Coworking, Chatham. Pay what you can.
Sport this weekend
⚽ Gillingham play Newport County at home on Saturday, as league football resumes after the busy cup period.
🏒 Invicta Mustangs welcome Guildford Phoenix to Planet Ice in the first leg of a cup semi-final on Saturday.
Footnotes
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