> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.localauthority.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Medway makes another attempt to seize abandoned Rochester property - URL: https://www.localauthority.news/medway-makes-another-attempt-to-seize-abandoned-rochester-property/ - Published: 2026-10-20T18:16:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-20T18:16:44.000Z - Description: Why Medway Council is revisiting a five-year-old decision, plus new plans for two historic buildings and proposed new street drinking restrictions - Author: Ed Jennings - Tags: News **Medway Council is preparing to make a second attempt to seize a long-abandoned Rochester property, after its first attempt failed to produce a lasting solution. Elsewhere, two of Medway's more unusual historic buildings could be getting new lives, while proposed restrictions on street drinking could soon extend into Rainham, Twydall and other neighbourhoods.* ### Medway makes another attempt to seize abandoned Rochester property Plenty of buildings along Chatham Intra are empty, but one has become such a persistent problem that Medway Council is considering using compulsory purchase powers to take ownership. For the second time. The former Mak's Curry Nest on the High Street has been empty since 2012, steadily deteriorating while the council attempts to persuade its owner to do something about it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-10-20-at-19.02.43-1.png) The former Mak's Curry Nest building in Intra. Now, with the building still derelict, squatters having moved in and more than £50,000 in outstanding debt, the council is [asking Cabinet to authorise a compulsory purchase order](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/mgconvert2pdf.aspx?id=91913&ref=localauthority.news). The three-storey building dates from the early 20th century and sits within the Star Hill to Sun Pier Conservation Area. It previously contained a restaurant and takeaway downstairs, with residential accommodation on the two floors above. According to council records, the same individual has owned the property since January 1995\. It has been vacant for more than 14 years, during which time its condition has become a recurring source of complaints from neighbours. The council first attempted to intervene in 2013, issuing a legal notice requiring the owner to improve the building's appearance. At that time, nothing happened. By December 2021, councillors had seemingly had enough. Cabinet [agreed to compulsorily purchase the property](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=115&MID=5107&ref=localauthority.news), intending to restore it and bring the residential accommodation back into use. This apparently got someone's attention. Before the compulsory purchase could proceed, the owner reappeared and carried out the required maintenance work. Satisfied that the immediate problem had been addressed, the council abandoned its plans. Having successfully persuaded the council that compulsory purchase was no longer necessary, the owner appears to have resumed the previous approach of doing very little with the building. It subsequently fell back into disrepair, attracting unauthorised occupation and antisocial behaviour. The council says it has once again been unable to locate the owner, despite attempts by its officers and external agencies employed to recover outstanding debts. The council served a second notice demanding improvements in February this year, with a deadline in April. That deadline passed without the required work being carried out. According to the latest Cabinet report, the outstanding council tax debt associated with the property stood at more than £50,000 in April. So, five years after councillors first authorised compulsory purchase, they are being asked to do it all over again. Councils can't ordinarily just take someone's building because they're fed up with looking at it. Compulsory purchase powers allow them to acquire property without the owner's agreement in certain circumstances, but only after a substantial legal process. Medway has used these powers as part of major regeneration schemes, including Rochester Riverside and Strood Riverside, where compulsory acquisition has helped assemble land for redevelopment. There have also been attempts involving individual buildings. In 2022, Cabinet [authorised compulsory purchase proceedings](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=27392&ref=localauthority.news) against a building on Gillingham High Street, another long-empty property containing a former shop and residential accommodation above it. So the powers aren't unprecedented locally, although authorising compulsory purchase doesn't necessarily mean the council ultimately takes ownership. The previous attempt involving Mak's Curry Nest demonstrates that rather neatly. This time, the council proposes a slightly different financial approach. Officers recommend that proceedings should only begin once an agreement has been reached with a buyer willing to cover the acquisition and compulsory purchase costs. The council could then transfer the property to a private purchaser, housing association, Intra Community Trust or another interested party, with conditions requiring its repair and reuse. Potential purchasers have already been approached, and officers say they are confident they can reach an agreement. A valuation carried out in 2021 estimated the acquisition cost at nearly £370,000, although that figure will need updating. The owner would also be entitled to statutory compensation if the compulsory purchase goes ahead. The process is unlikely to be straightforward. Compulsory purchase orders can be challenged and require formal confirmation before the council can take ownership. The council could also abandon proceedings if the owner returned and properly restored the building. Cabinet is now being asked to authorise the same compulsory purchase it approved in 2021\. The council will presumably be hoping that, this time, it doesn't have to start the whole thing again in another five years. ### Two old buildings are looking for something new to do One started life as an elaborate garden ornament before becoming a brewery pumping station. The other was once involved in an attempt to create a universal religion. Now, two of Medway's more unusual historic buildings are looking for new uses. Architects [vHH have announced](https://vhh.co.uk/news/vhh-working-with-intra-community-trust-on-two-projects-in-medway/?ref=localauthority.news) that they are working with [Intra Community Trust](https://intracommunitytrust.org.uk/?ref=localauthority.news) to explore new uses for the Waterworks in Rochester and Chatham Unitarian Church on Hamond Hill. Both projects are in the early stages, but could eventually see the buildings put to greater use by the local community. The stranger of the two is the Waterworks, a Grade II listed building tucked away in Intra, behind the former St Barts Hospital. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/2026/10/image-3-1.png) The Waterworks. Originally built as a folly associated with Chatham House, it later served a more practical purpose as a pumping station for a brewery. It has been unused since around 2008 and has fallen into disrepair. It's quite a career trajectory for a building, going from something built largely for decoration to providing water for beer production, before spending the best part of two decades doing absolutely nothing. The trust wants to change that. Architects are examining how the building and its surrounding garden could be repaired and brought back into use, although the exact use remains undecided. This is not an entirely new ambition. When we [spoke to Intra Community Trust in December 2024](https://www.localauthority.news/revitalising-intra/), its trustees identified the Waterworks, sometimes referred to as the Old Mortuary, as the organisation's intended first property acquisition. The plan was to make the building and garden available for community use, although the handover had already been delayed. Nearly two years later, the latest announcement suggests the project is still progressing, albeit without an agreed use or timetable for restoration. The second building is Chatham Unitarian Church, which has a rather more colourful history than its relatively modest appearance might suggest. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/2026/10/image-2-1.png) Chatham Unitarian Church. Its congregation dates back to at least 1655, although the present building was constructed in 1889\. Two sisters paid for it in memory of their parents. During the 20th century, the church became associated with the Rev Will Hayes, a minister who promoted cooperation between different religions and founded the Order of the Great Companions. The idea was to encourage the emergence of a universal religion bringing together different faiths, under the rather ambitious slogan of creating a brotherhood of nations through a sisterhood of religions. It's difficult enough to get the people of Medway to agree on where Rochester ends and Chatham begins, so trying to unite the world's religions from a church on Hamond Hill was definitely ambitious. The building was even known for a time as the Church of the Great Companions, in reference to the religious leaders and prophets of different traditions. These days, the church is still used for worship and some community activities, but is significantly underused. The architects are exploring how it might accommodate additional activities without losing its existing religious functions. More people using the building would also mean more income to help keep it running. The projects form part of the wider work of Intra Community Trust, which emerged from the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme and has spent the past few years attempting to revive the often overlooked stretch between Rochester and Chatham. We've [previously reported on its ambitions](https://www.localauthority.news/its-blooming-intra/), which extend from cultural events and environmental improvements to the more complicated business of bringing neglected historic buildings back into use. That last part is particularly difficult. Old buildings are expensive to repair, listed buildings come with restrictions on what can be changed, and even the most imaginative proposal needs someone willing to pay the bills. The architects are now considering what might actually work for both sites, taking into account their historic significance, the practical challenges and what local people might want from them. No new uses or restoration timetables are confirmed, and there is no indication yet of how either scheme would be funded. For now, both buildings remain in search of their next purpose. Given that one has already managed to be a garden ornament and a brewery pumping station, while the other once tried to unite the world's religions, there's certainly some precedent for thinking creatively. ## ****Finding this useful?** Stay on top of what’s happening in Medway with independent local journalism delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Rainham and Twydall could be next for Medway's street drinking crackdown Medway Council is looking to expand its powers to tackle antisocial street drinking, with four more areas potentially joining the town centres where restrictions already exist. The council has [launched a consultation](https://www.medway.gov.uk/pspo?ref=localauthority.news) on introducing Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) covering Rainham Shopping Centre, Kestrel Road in Lordswood, Luton and Twydall Green. Existing orders covering Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester and Strood town centres are also up for renewal. If approved, Medway would have eight separate areas subject to restrictions on public drinking, although the rules aren't quite as draconian as that might initially sound. The inclusion of Rainham Shopping Centre and Twydall Green will probably come as little surprise to anyone who spends time in local Facebook groups, where street drinking and associated antisocial behaviour have been recurring subjects of complaint in recent months. Some residents have become increasingly vocal about the issue, with groups of people often spending the entire day drinking in local shopping areas. Despite their rather imposing name, PSPOs do not automatically make drinking alcohol outdoors illegal. You can still enjoy a can of beer in a public space without worrying about being apprehended by the authorities, as long as you're not causing problems for everyone else. Instead, the orders allow police officers and authorised council staff to tell people to stop drinking and hand over their alcohol if their behaviour is causing, or is likely to cause, nuisance, alarm or distress. Refusing to comply can result in a £100 fixed penalty notice or potentially prosecution. Medway has used versions of these powers for longer than you might expect. The first alcohol control zone was introduced in Rochester in 2003, followed by Chatham, Gillingham and Strood. The restrictions subsequently became PSPOs, with the existing orders renewed in 2024. Unlike many similar initiatives, the rules don't exist entirely on paper either. The council's [2024 Community Safety Partnership assessment](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/mgconvert2pdf.aspx?id=77143&ref=localauthority.news) recorded five fixed penalty notices issued during an operation targeting street drinking on Gillingham High Street. A [separate briefing later that year](https://www.medway.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/8921/september%5F2024%5F-%5Fregeneration%5Fculture%5Fand%5Fenvironment%5Fbriefing%5Fnote%5F-%5Fcommunity%5Fsafety%5Fpartnership%5Finnovative%5Fworking.pdf?ref=localauthority.news) confirmed that police and council officers had been carrying out joint patrols, issuing warnings and fines to people who continued drinking after being told to stop. Local businesses reportedly noticed a substantial reduction in street drinking following the operation. These restrictions have limits. They give officers additional powers to intervene when drinking becomes antisocial, rather than preventing people from gathering in public spaces or addressing the wider reasons behind problematic alcohol use. Regardless, residents and businesses affected by persistent antisocial behaviour may welcome additional intervention, particularly in places not previously covered. The proposed new areas also differ somewhat from the existing town centre restrictions. Rainham Shopping Centre is a busy commercial area, but other sites are more local shopping parades in residential neighbourhoods. The consultation runs until 17 November, with residents invited to have their say on the proposed restrictions. Given the amount of discussion about street drinking in Rainham and Twydall in recent months, there should be no shortage of people with something to say. ### Footnotes ✉️ Have a Medway story you think we might be interested in? 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