How Chatham might look with a cable car running through it

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

The success of the London Docklands cable car has prompted developers to revive a similar project in Medway.

More than a million people have used the Emirates AirLine between the O2 and Excel in its first three months of operation.

Some of the design features and experts had previously worked on the Medway project which was turned down several years ago.

But Kent-based Mark Bradbury, managing director of Vertical Thinking, said it was time to return to the idea.

The London Docklands cable car

Speaking at the 2012 Construction Expo in Chatham Historic Dockyard, he told KentOnline: “An idea that started in Kent has been proven to work in London and it’s time to bring it back to Kent where it was originally conceived, It’s proved it’s not only technically feasible, it’s highly popular.”

A cable car would link Chatham with Medway City Estate and other regeneration sites and vastly improve transport in the area, he said.

“A lot of poorer people of Medway live around the centre of Chatham but a lot of the jobs are on Medway City Estate.

"The public transport links are slow because of the lack of bridges. This would be an effective way of resolving that.”

The Docklands cable car cost between £15m and £25m, with a substantial sum raised from sponsorship.

Mr Bradbury believes private sector funding and sponsorship would support a Medway project, although he conceded that public sector money would be needed.

Rodney Chambers, leader of Medway council, said he was open to any ideas like this “but they need to tell us how they’re going to pay for it.” A cable car “remains a very low-down priority,” he added.