The down from London myth

Is Medway's housing really being filled by people from the big city?

Spend enough time on the local Facebook groups and soon you’ll spot a similar refrain in any discussion about housing. Ignore those ranting about ‘housing our homegrown homeless first’ or ‘no local people will ever afford them’, and you reach the common line that homes are being filled up by rich Londoners coming in.

How true is it though? Contrary to people who spend time running our towns down, there is clearly an appeal in a place like Medway for Londoners seeking somewhere more affordable to settle down. But just how many people from London are arriving in our towns each year? I’ve been pouring over data from the Office of National Statistics to figure it out.

Housing schemes like Garrison Point in Chatham are often accused of being out of reach for local residents.