Voice of the MP - Gillingham and Rainham
Voice of the MP - Gillingham and Rainham
Gillingham and Rainham MP Naushabah Khan on revitalising Gillingham town centre
We’ve been publishing quarterly columns from the Leader of Medway Council and the Leader of the Opposition for a while now. Today, we’re going to start mixing that up. While we’ll still have columns from Cllr Maple and Cllr Perfect (though a little less often), we’re delighted that we will also be publishing columns from Medway’s new MPs and Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott.
Each month, we’ll hear from one of them so you can hear directly from your representatives about their work. Today, we welcome new Gillingham and Rainham MP Naushabah Khan, who bested Rehman Chishti in last month’s General Election. She tells us about the ongoing work to revitalise Gillingham town centre.
Voice of the MP
by Naushabah Khan, MP for Gillingham and Rainham
Born and brought up in the Gillingham, I have first-hand seen the slow but steady decline of the area following a generation of underinvestment. As one of the most deprived parts of Medway, the town faces significant social challenges. According to the charity Action for Children, 31.4% of children were living in poverty across Gillingham and Rainham in 2021/22. Additionally, ONS data reveals that Gillingham has higher unemployment rates compared to the national average, with many residents possessing few or no formal qualifications.
Unsurprisingly, such levels of deprivation left unaddressed lead to profound challenges, whether that be homelessness, health impacts or crime. Visually embodying this decline is Gillingham Town Centre, which has significantly changed over the years. And, while there is still a vibrant community, longstanding and new local businesses, as well as a colourful market supporting the High Street, it is becoming overshadowed by empty shops, rubbish and anti-social behaviour. Many residents I have spoken to say that they just don’t feel safe walking through the Town at night, and businesses are increasingly concerned about their future in the same location.
That’s why, when I was first elected as a Gillingham South Councillor in 2015 alongside my ward colleagues, I was passionate about re-imagining the future of the High Street. Despite several attempts, however, to put the regeneration of Gillingham on the agenda, the previous Conservative administration at Medway Council was simply not interested. It was clear that for both the Council leaderships and the former Conservative MP, Rehman Chishti, it was not a political priority, and we failed to secure funding through levelling-up bids.
Last May, however, presented a new opportunity. With Labour taking the Council, the political agenda also changed, and the regeneration of Gillingham had to be a priority. That’s why I formed the Gillingham High Street Taskforce, which brings together a variety of stakeholders, including the council and the police, with the aim to provide a joined-up approach to the challenges we face and identify new opportunities in the Town Centre. Its remit includes, but is not limited to:
Looking at a future masterplan for Gillingham High Street
Tackling rubbish and fly-tipping
Tackling anti-social behaviour and make the town centre safer
Exploring investment opportunities for Gillingham
Transforming empty shops and eyesores
The Taskforce’s work has also been supported by further action, including securing £12,000 through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for high street upgrades, such as painting benches. The introduction of enforcement cameras to stop vehicles driving down the pedestrianised high street, fines issued for littering and, importantly, a community-led co-creation pilot through Future High Streets to support Gillingham town centre, through which a stakeholder workshop has already taken place.
These first steps are designed to instil a sense of pride back into the area, recognising the strong community that still exists within the Town. That is why, supported by Gillingham Labour Councillors, I have collaborated with local businesswoman Esther Johnson – the brainchild behind the Medway Activity Book and founder of Designed by Esther- to create a new brand for Gillingham. The ‘Love Gillingham’ design will be officially launched at the Big Day Out on Sunday, 1 September, in Gillingham High Street, a community-focused event which will host food, games, and activities and provide local residents with a chance to share their thoughts and ideas for the Town Centre.
But this is just the beginning of a long journey, and the answers to how we secure the future of Gillingham are complex. High Streets are in decline across the country, with the traditional retail model no longer sustainable. Reimaging a new style of High Street that goes beyond just shopping will be central to renewal, whether that be a well-planned mix of independent businesses, office spaces, local services, as well as varied hospitality. Gillingham already has some of the key assets to make this possible- a train station, library services, a regular market, the Great Lines heritage park and Medway Park sport facility – unfortunately, these elements have yet to come together effectively.
The need for significant investment in the area is evident; however, in a constrained financial environment, this presents further challenges. Again, we may need to think more imaginatively about how we can secure funding options and how we collaborate with the private sector to support regeneration. The need to go beyond simply bricks and mortar, addressing local needs and putting local people at its heart will also have to be part of the solution, addressing some of the wider challenges in the area, such as health inequalities, deprivation and housing standards.
A joined-up approach that brings together national government, the local authority, private sector, third sector and communities to create a space designed with local people in mind is central to progressing a programme of renewal. But it also needs a driving force to ensure this goes beyond lip service and delivers the results we need. I started this process as a Councillor and am now determined to use my platform as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Gillingham Rainham to push the same agenda. As a starting point, next week, I will be raising this issue in Parliament, asking the Deputy Prime Minister on the government’s plans to regenerate our High Streets and how we can tackle some of challenges we see in Gillingham.
This is not a simple process and there a no quick fixes, but working with the community and through government, I hope we can transform Gillingham Town Centre for future generations.
Naushabah Khan is the MP for Gillingham and Rainham and a Medway councillor for Gillingham South.