Chatham Maritime Trust contractors will be repairing the footpaths on Finsborough Down from Monday 6th to Wednesday 8th February to address localised 'ponding' or surface flooding.  The work is subject to weather conditions and is likely to take several days.  Disruption to pedestrians will be kept to a minimum.    

Contractors appointed by Chatham Mariitme Trust will be conducting remediation works to the land drains on the Island parks week commencing  13th February and is likely to last about two weeks.  Please note that there will be an increase in the number of contractors vehicles moving around the parks.      

Medway Council have advised that British Telecom will be undertaking off-peak road closures at Maritime Way, Pembroke Roundabout and Western Avenue to clear blocked ducts in the carriageway.  This work will take place on the above-mentioned dates.  Traffic disruption is expected to be minimal.   

Chatham Maritime Trust welcomes property expert Matthew Hill as the new Chief Executive.  

Property Manager Matthew Hill, 48, takes over the reins of the charity which was created in 1997 to become the long-term guardian of the 350-acre mixed use site which stretches from the Historic Dockyard to St. Mary's Island.  

Mr Hill, who has more than twenty years experience in estate management and public and private developments, said he was looking forward to the challenges ahead.  "I was drawn to this post as it is diverse and interesting, with the Chatham Maritime Estate boasting a mix of historical and modern architecture in a fantastic setting." he said.  

"In terms of what I want to achieve at CMT, I will be joning a very experienced team of Trustees and professionals to create a great environment at Chatham Maritime, providing great services and value for money together with developing great  partnerships with stakeholders and the communities on the estate."

Since 2008 Mr Hill has worked for Essex-based Tendring Regeneration Ltd and in September 2010 he was promoted to the post of Managing Director.  During his tenure he helped to develop proposals to bring forward Harwich as a potential port for the offshore wind fram industry as well as delivering a number of property and community based projects.  

It has been brought to the attention of Medway Council that some residents have purchased wheeled bins for their domestic household waste which is being presented in the bin on the collection day.  

Medway Council operates a kerbside sack collection for domestic waste which has been scheduled into their current contract and priced accordingly.  This means that the Council cannot empty waste from wheeled containers and as such will be writing to all residents to explain that domestic waste must be presented in sacks.  The wheeled bins can be used for storing waste but the contents must be placed out by the resident in a sack on the day of collection. 

Medway Council has introduced a garden and kitchen waste collection service.  Residents that have a brown bin for garden waste can now also place food waste into this bin for collection. Information about this will be included in the Council's letter.  

Any spillages that occur as part of the collection services should be cleared up at the time of collection and the Council welcomes feedback regarding this so they can ensure that the service is carried out as it should be.  

If you have any queries or questions regarding the refuse collection, please contact Miss M Chambers on 01634 333008 or Amy Mason on 01634 333547.  The monitoring officer for the area is amergit.biringh@medway| or telephone 01634 333603.  

Peel Ports Medway have confirmed that they are not swapping the caissons around until later in the year.  The HCA are hoping to get the footpath over the caisson reopened but at present not sure if this is possible.  Any queries or questions relating to this should be directed to Peel Ports Medway on 01795 596596.  Email contact addresses can be found on the website http://www.medwayports.com|       

Countryside Maritime Ltd is planning to lay cable ducting under the road on Island Way West close to the Primary School.  Dates for this work have yet to be confirmed.  Further details are available from Countryside Maritime Ltd on 01277 260000.  

 

Chatham Maritime Trust has instructed the Port of London Authority to proceed with the sonar survey of Basin 2.  This was originally delayed due to the possible caisson move but is now proceeding independently.  No timeframe is yet available for this work but will be confirmed when details available.  

A large semi-mature tree was blown down in the Riverside Walk during the recent high winds.  This will be replaced in due course. 

Congratulations to St. Mary's Island School for being awarded the "Bishop's Commendation" Award recognising the distinctiveness as a church school.   

Chatham's new bus station acts as the new hub for all main bus routes.  Buses will run from the new location from 5 am to 11.45 pm, seven days a week serving destinations throughout Kent. The new facility consists of four platforms (mushroom like structures) ; each with a number of individual stops on them.  There will also be new large screen information boards showing when and where services depart.  The station's new Information Centre will open Mon-Frid from 8 am to 6 pm and 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.  For further details visit  www.medway.gov.uk/chathambus| or call 01634 306000.           

Chatham Maritime Trust has received the following statement from the Environment Agency:

The Environment Agency, which regulates waste legislation, is actively working with the owner and operator of Chatham Docks, Peel Ports, to resolve the current odour issues being experienced in the area surrounding the docks. 

The cause of the odour is from stockpiles of  wood chip that is being stored at the site prior to onward shipment to Sweden where the material is used in the generation of heat and electricity.  Recent movement of the wood chip, that had been on the dockside for longer than is typically expected, resulted in the release of odours associated with the natural degradation of the wood.  These odours have been carried off site by the wind and have caused a nuisance to those living near the site.  

We have prioritised our efforts on this site and the activities that are giving rise to the odours.  We have recommended a number of measures to minimise the smell.  Peel Ports have plans in place to ensure that the material will be moved to Sweden as soon as possible and are bringing equipment on to the site to minimise the problem in the interim.  These measures will include suppression systems designed to control airborne particles and odours.  

Jon Griffin, Snr. Environment Officer said "We understand that strong odour can cause a lot of distress to communities.  This site and the reported issues are a top priority and we are working with the operator, Peel Ports, to resolve the problems related to their activities as quickly as possible.  In the interim, we would appreciate anyone who is experiencing odour and dust problems to call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060."

Alan Dengate, Principal Communications Officer, Kent & South London & Solent & South Downs

SMIRA would like to thank Peel Land & Property for their considered actions and continued engagement as well as the Environment Agency, local councillors, Mark Reckless MP, local stakeholders and those residents who took action over the wood-chip processing in particular, for the benefit of all.         

Problems with sewage pumping stations are the responsibility of the housebuilder, Countryside Maritime.  Should you experience any problems, use the following numbers - please do not contact Chatham Maritime Trust or Land Management.  

During working hours Monday to Friday:  Countryside Properties on 01277 260000

Evenings and weekends:                            Willow Pumps on 01634 820840 / 07714 481182                                                                                       

Peel Holdings (Land & Property) Limited, the land owners of Chatham Docks, is currently preparing an outline planning application seeking to develop part of the Dock close to the site entrance.  It is intended to submit the application to Medway Council later this year. 

The proposed scheme is a mixture of offices, conference and event facilities, residential, student accommodation, hotel, leisure and retail use.  The proposal also includes associated open space and landscaping throughout the site and alterations/improvements to the main access to the Dock.  

For further details go to www,peel.co.uk|. the development is known as 'Chatham Waters'.       

If residents wish to respond to the Outline Planning Application (No. MC/11/2756) they should send their comments initially, in the form of an attached letter to dave.harris@medway.gov.uk| by Tues 29 November 2011 at the latest.  A hard copy of the attached letter should then be forwarded to the Council for the attention of Dave Harris at Medway Council, Development, Economy & Transport, Regeneration Community & Culture, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham ME4 4TR.  All correspondence should be dated and quote the above mentioned application no.  

In order to help residential and commercial occupiers on the Estate better understand the role of contractors employed by Chatham Maritime Trust, the Trust has taken the decision to give the security team a name which more accurately reflects their role on the Estate, 'Land Management'.    

In the early days of the regeneration of the former Naval Dockyard at Chatham, the Security team undertook standard security roles, opening up and locking up gates and buildings, patrolling buildings and protecting the construction site which became the Chatham Maritime Estate.  Over the last fourteen years however the estate has changed radically and so has the role of the security team.  The word 'Security' has become a misnomer.   

These days the 'Security'contractors employed by the Trust undertake a wide range of roles which include:

There are no plans to change the nature of the work just the name.  The security function still remains but has become only one facet of the very wide range of activities undertaken by this contractor.  As the Trust also contributes to Kent Police for the provision of the PCSO, a service more suited to the occupiers security needs, the contractor's title 'security' has become obsolete and was preventing the service from evolving further.  As the community on the Chatham Maritime Estate matures, the 24/7 land management role, managing the Trust's community assets and your experience, simply needs a name to match.   

The Tourism & Heritage Minister, John Penrose MP, recently announced that Chatham Dockyard and its Defences is one of eleven sites shortlisted on a tentative list bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.  UNESCO encourages the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world.  

World Heritage sites must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) meaning that they should be of global significance. 

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee have ten criteria to evaluate OUV and the Committee will consider a site that has one or more of the ten principles. 

An expert panel assessed the sites individually to arrive at a credible tentative list.  The panel considered Chatham Dockyard and its defences to be an outstanding example of a naval dockyard at a time when naval power was decisive to the rise of global power of European nations and in its time one of the largest integrated industrial complexes.  The importance of sustainable management in a developing area was an important factor. 

Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Chairman of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust said "World Heritage status will recognise the outstanding contribution made by thousands of Medway men and women to international maritime heritage.  The Historic Dockyard is a testament to the skill and dedication of those who built, maintained and manned the ships of the Royal Navy.  World Heritage status will be a permanent source of pride in Chatham's past, and inspiration for its future".

The proposed World Heritage Site| includes the River Medway, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Brompton Barracks and Village, Fort Amherst, Chatham Lines, Kitchener Barracks, Old Gun Wharf, Upnor Castle, Barracks and Ordnance Depot.   

The tentative list will be submitted to UNESCO for consideration with a view to nominating one of the sites from 2012 - let's hope Chatham Dockyard's application is selected to go forward.  

Chatham Maritime Trust is proud to be a Member of the Steering Committee for World Heritage Site Status and to support the bid.   

Both Craig Mackinlay and Andrew Mackness were elected on 5th May as the new Ward Councillors in River, which includes St. Mary's Island.  Both individuals can be contacted via their website www.riverward.co.uk|.    

Please note that the mailbox smiraenquiries@hotmail.com |is in the process of being removed.  To contact SMIRA in future please email admin@smira.info|. 

This is currently under the ownership of Barratts.    

Barratts have recently conducted remedial work to the surface matting of the play area and this is now complete.  To allow the surface to settle and in order that Barratts can address ground level works the play area will remain fenced off for the time being. 

Negotiations are ongoing for the transfer to Chatham Maritime Trust.     

You may recall that in the May edition of the Maritime Messenger 2011 we featured a competition to rename the former Lifting Bridge.   The winning entries were submitted from Dean Hall and Janet Stiff who both suggested renaming the structure 'HMS Chatham Bridge'.  Congratulations to both of you.  The intention is to organise a renaming ceremony in the spring of 2012.