The Thames Gateway area of Kent continues to experience significant growth, says Graeme Dowd, area land director of RPC Land and New Homes.

You may be forgiven for thinking the Thames Gateway project is yesterday’s news now the Olympics are over, the High Speed One service to St Pancras is well established and the plans for the Thames Estuary Airport appear to have been sunk. However, in the Kent region of the Gateway, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

We appear to be through the worst of the trials and tribulations of the recent economic crisis and signs of recovery are springing up all over the Gateway.

Indeed since 2002, the Centre for Economics found the Thames Gateway has been the UK’s fastest growing region and with 3.3% economic growth after inflation expected this year, it is continuing to perform better than the rest of the UK where predicted growth is just 2.5%.

This growth is leading to renewed interest in the region from occupiers, investors and developers alike, with projects under way across the region.

These include the Ebbsfleet Garden City; the Paramount Park project being granted Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project status; Lodge Hill, Rochester where a new community is proposed of 5,000 homes plus schools, shops and commercial space; Rochester Riverside where the plans have been revised to include 1,500 homes, schools, shops and restaurants; Chatham Waters, where planning has been granted for 950 homes, a new supermarket and dockside retails units and Sittingbourne town centre regeneration, where plans are being drawn up for housing, a multi-screen cinema and restaurants.

As well as the major schemes, there are an array of smaller local housing, commercial, retail and leisure developments either planned or under way across Thames Gateway.

In addition, investment continues in the all-important infrastructure including the £19m upgrade of Gravesend train station and the £26m relocation and upgrade of Rochester station that will make both stations capable of accommodating 12-car trains, meaning a better service and more capacity.

The road network is also set for substantial improvement and the government has consulted on the various options for the new Lower Thames crossing.

RPC Land & New Homes, has confirmed its commitment to the Thames Gateway region by relocating to fully refurbished offices on Rochester High Street. It continues to experience increasing interest in the various new homes developments it is marketing from Liberty Park in Wainscott, by Crest Nicholson to The Chase in Longfield by Ward Homes.

The Thames Gateway is a vibrant and exciting place and it’s the perfect time to invest or purchase a property in the region. The continued improvements in the transport infrastructure and the projects planned across the region can only mean it will continue thrive for many years to come.

RPC Land & new Homes, Rochester office can be contacted on 01634 835900.