Rochester Riverside Phase 1B
Number/street name:
Common Creek Wharf
Address line 2:
City:
Rochester
Postcode:
ME1 1GE
Architect:
BPTW
Architect contact number:
2082935175
Developer:
Countryside Properties|The Hyde Group.
Planning Authority:
Medway Council
Planning Reference:
MC/17/2333
Date of Completion:
11/2024
Schedule of Accommodation:
Flats: 33 x 1B2P, 1x 1B2P WCH, 13 x 2B3P, 1 x 2B3P WCH, 16 x 2B4P, 8 x 3B5P | Houses: 6 x 3B4P, 9 x 3B5P, 18 x 3B6P, 23 x 4B6P, 3 x 4B7P
Tenure Mix:
78% private; 22% affordable
Total number of homes:
Site size (hectares):
2.97
Net Density (homes per hectare):
44.1
Size of principal unit (sq m):
50
Smallest Unit (sq m):
50
Largest unit (sq m):
165.6
No of parking spaces:
270
Scheme PDF Download
Planning History
All planning history refers to outline masterplan and detailed Phase 1-3 application.
Planning Application Submission 30 June 2017
Planning Application Validated 27 July 2017
Planning Committee Resolution to Grant Permission 25 October 2017
Decision Notice 31 January 2018
The design was developed through a consultation strategy with local council members, stakeholders and residents. Briefing sessions and a walkabout were arranged with local councillors allowing them to pick-out the design elements they most valued about Rochester. These results were then fed into the design. Comprehensive public consultation was undertaken with local residents including public exhibitions with fly-through video and immersive visuals.
The Design Process
1. Rochester Riverside embraces its brownfield site potential by re-establishing connections between Rochester and the river with a network of public spaces, promoting well-being by opening up this riverfront for all.
2. In addition to a hotel, cafe and convenience store, the scheme provides excellent connections to Rochester’s high-street, encouraging new residents to support existing local businesses.
3. The scheme is adjacent to Rochester’s high-speed train station, reaching London in 37 minutes. Local buses are in walking distance.
4. Rochester Riverside provides 50% family-sized accommodation and 25% affordable homes development-wide.
5. Drawing inspiration from the Medway area, Rochester Riverside seeks to complement the area’s fabric while creating a vibrant quarter. References to Rochester’s rich conservation area and Chatham’s Historic Naval Dockyard are reflected in the scheme’s materials, roofscapes, detailing and proportions.
6. Intertwining homes and landscaping, the scheme slots seamlessly into Rochester’s townscape and natural riverside setting. Careful integration with existing saltmarsh leaves this to flourish naturally, supporting local ecology/wildlife, for net gain in biodiversity.
7. Streets are defined by Rochester Wall’s ‘Durobrivae’ concept, giving streets their own personality within one cohesive framework. A clear, straight road network maximises river edge views.
8. Celebrating landscape, wildlife and heritage of specific on-site locations, public art – created in collaboration with artists - eases wayfinding and strengthens identity.
9. A riverside walk, dedicated to pedestrian and bike travel encourages active lifestyles and enables everyone to benefit from natural surroundings incorporated into the site.
10. Garages and driveways provide parking. On-site car club helps sustainable car-ownership.
11. Each home features a private garden or balcony. All public realm is framed by streets and homes, creating safe open spaces where areas of rest and play provide a sense of activity. 12. Dedicated bin-stores and brick alcoves disguise recycling storage. Garages and sheds store cycles.
Key Features
- Rochester Riverside celebrates high-quality public space, while also incorporating the site’s natural heritage across the scheme, to allow the riverside biodiversity to thrive.
- Championing well-being, Rochester Riverside improves physical and visual connections to the Medway, re-activating the riverfront for the whole community. Similarly, houses/flats designs are specific to their site location, with first-floor living spaces making the most of riverside and marshland views.
- Testament to extensive consultation, the scheme brings a vacant site back into use with a sensitive interpretation of vernacular architecture and a dramatic skyline, creating a new urban quarter that echoes Rochester’s rich townscape.
- Masterplanning by HTA
- Landscaping by LUC Environmental Planning, Design and Management
