Herne Bay Central Development

Your questions answered

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Answers to questions raised at March 24th 2010 Public Consultation

Question 1: Is this development just "pie in the sky", or could it actually happen?

The selection of Coplan Estates and Denne Construction as development partners for the site is a very important step forward in the delivery of the scheme. Coplan and Denne are experienced developers/contractors and are familiar in delivering schemes such as this. In addition the soon to be adopted AAP provides Coplan and Denne with the required planning framework for a retail led mixed use regeneration project at this site. In short we are very confident that the development can happen.

Question 2: If all goes well, when can we expect to see it completed?

It is intended that the scheme will be delivered in 2 phases to ensure car parking levels remain at their current levels during and following completion of the scheme. It is difficult at this stage to precisely forecast the timetable for the project but we expect to commence phase 1 in early 2012 with phase 2 commencing around 15 months afterwards and due for completion mid 2014.

Question 3: Is there a need for 75 more flats in Herne Bay when there are already loads of empty ones not selling?

Clearly the demand for new residential units will need to be assessed before construction starts. We hope that, combined with the new development and uses proposed, that there will be a desire to live within the town centre. In the event that residential units are not required then other uses may be considered, such as a hotel etc.

Question 4: What kind of shops can we expect to see in the new precinct?

Will we get household names?It is too early to provide precise names for the retailers that may go into the scheme, but we will be looking to provide a mix of retailers, both national and regional, that will compliment the existing town centre.

Question 5: What will happen to Herne Bay market?

We have already had an early discussion with a number of the market traders concerning their future within the development. The intention is to relocate the market to a new market square as highlighted on the Masterplan.

Question 6: Will the new development draw business and people away from Mortimer Street and the High Street, affecting smaller businesses?

As mentioned in question 4, the intention is to provide a mix of retailers to compliment the existing retail offer within the town. Currently there is a substantial amount of retail expenditure by Herne Bay residents being spent in surrounding towns, so therefore the intention of the development is to ensure that the people of Herne Bay shop in Herne Bay. We hope the scheme will help the existing retailers by bringing more people into the town centre. In addition to the new development, we intend to strengthen the existing links between our proposals and Mortimer Street / William Street to encourage a natural flow between the two key retail areas.

Question 7: How much will it cost and where's the money coming from?

It is difficult to provide a precise budget at this stage as to how much it is likely to cost to build; however, our current estimate is that it will be in the region of £30-£35m. This will be funded by the developers and their financial backers and there will be no requirement for funding from Canterbury City Council.

Question 8: How dependent is the development on the wider economy?

Clearly the economy can affect the delivery of a project of this nature, particularly if the retail sector is hard hit thus affecting expansion programmes. We think that this is unlikely in this instance as we believe there will be significant demand for retail space within the scheme.

Question 9: Will the development cause an increased flood risk in the area?

Flooding risk will need to be addressed and we intend to engage with the Environmental Agency at an early stage to ensure that the correct flood mitigation measures are designed into the scheme.

Question 10: Does Herne Bay need another supermarket?

Early feedback from the Public Consultation on the 24th March would suggest that a larger food store within the centre of Herne Bay would be welcomed. The existing foodstore is too small for a modern foodstore and unless a more appropriate size is provided there is a risk that Herne Bay may lose its town centre foodstore altogether. In addition, the provision of a large modern foodstore will act as a catalyst to encourage additional, much needed retailers into the town centre, and we envisage will capture some of the retail spend which is currently lost to surrounding towns.

Question 11: Should we not be concentrating more on the seafront?

We are a seaside town, after all.We understand that there are opportunities arising in the near future at the Pier for specialist leisure operators that will benefit from the town centre redevelopment. Significant investment has already taken place on the seafront over a number of years and we understand that the council is still looking looking to undertake further seafront improvements.