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Sun Pier to Star Hill: Come along to our symposium event

Thank you to everyone who took part in our online survey for the Sun Pier to Star Hill conservation area (spanning Chatham and Rochester), telling us what improvements you would like to see. This is the area where both Chatham and Rochester High Streets meet, known as The Old High Street Intra.

Over 180 residents provided feedback. We’re now hosting a symposium day to give residents and local businesses the opportunity to offer feedback to our project team on how we can improve the area.

Symposium details:

  • date: Friday 4 November 2022
  • location: St John’s Church, Railway Street, Chatham
  • time: 10am to 4.30pm.

There will be experts on the day including landscape designers, heritage and conservation experts, and local creatives, with a range of workshops available.

The event will help us to develop a design framework for the area, which will ensure sustainable development for the area over the coming years.

The symposium focuses on the future of the high street and sets up a forum for conversation and dialogue about the future development of the area between Sun Pier, Chatham and Star Hill, Rochester.

The free event is open to local residents and businesses to attend.

See the schedule for more details.

Time Activity
10am to 10.30am Welcome and introduction to day
10.30am to 11.30am

Theme 1 - reflections on the Medway, river, streets and people. University of Kent, social and national historians

11.30am to 12pm Break and refreshments
12pm to 1.30pm

Theme 2 - this is here, this is now - creative, cultural and social regeneration. Local and regional experts

1.30pm to 2.15pm Break and refreshments
2.15pm to 3.15pm

Theme 3 - a new sense of place: visions for Chatham - creative responses

3.15pm to 4.30pm Round table discussion and closing speeches

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Our programme for improving the Sun Pier to Star Hill conservation area will help bring the history and heritage of the area back to life, making it a vibrant place to visit and boosting the local economy by 2024.

At this event, you’ll be able to tell our team of experts what you think should be done to improve the local area.

Find out more about the HSHAZ consultation.

The Cultural Consortium

Find out more about the cultural consortium.

Previous events

HSHAZ consultation

We consulted on your views of the future of the area between Star Hill and Sun Pier conservation area. 

Find out more about the HSHAZ consultation.

Heritage Open Days

As part of the national Heritage Open Days, some heritage buildings along The Old High Street were open to the public during September 2022. The Old High Street Intra Heritage Open Days Trail included HSHAZ grant aided properties.

There were also walking tours and events. 

For more information on the trail visit Sun Pier House website.

Workshops

We held a virtual open space meeting to discuss the new HSHAZ on 24 October 2020. The community engagement plan for the HSHAZ consultation work continued with 4 workshops in January and February 2021. 

It was a chance for residents, local businesses and other interested parties to discuss critical issues that informed the HSHAZ project.

View the initial findings from the workshops.