Sheerness Revival LUF Project Updates

Published Tuesday 19 December, 2023
Last updated on Monday 18 March, 2024

Swale Borough Council (SBC) has provided an update on the £20 million Sheerness Revival Project which is part of the UK government's Levelling Up Fund.  

The project aims to improve health, education, leisure and employment opportunities in Sheerness.  

There are three distinct projects being funded:

Beachfields

The project will see new and improved leisure and health facilities at Beachfields, which will see better opportunities for residents and visitors.  

Swale Borough Council have entered into an agreement with Alliance Leisure up to the end of the design works.  

From this partnership, the appointment of Willmott Dixon has taken place as contractor for the design works.  

The design team are in the process of conducting surveys and carried out multiple site visits to begin developing design options to suit the needs of the occupants.

Sheppey College

The project will add an extension to Sheppey College allowing for new courses to be offered, providing easier access to training and education opportunities on the island.  

East Kent College Group (EKC) has appointed architects and quantity surveyors to the project.  

The architects are working on design options for the new extension, and a planning application will be submitted in the new year.  

EKC have also developed a curriculum plan which will focus on 16 - 19-year-olds and offer creative, engineering and logistics courses.

Masters House

Works to the main building at Masters House have been completed. Charity Launch it, have moved into the building and are supporting the young people of Swale to develop new business ventures.  

With the help of consultant ig9 the council will now be converting the existing garages into three workshop spaces for commercial, business and service use.  

In addition, they will be adding solar panels to the roof and replacing the boundary fencing and vehicle gate.  

The council is also developing a dedicated website for Sheerness Revival to share updates and latest news on the projects, which will act as a central place for the community to find information about the scheme.  

Cllr Monique Bonney, Chair of the regeneration and property committee, said:

“A lot of work has been taking place behind the scenes to start to turn the ideas we were awarded the funding for, into deliverable projects.  

“No-one is as eager as us to get these projects off the drawing board, but due to the scale of them, and the number of different elements that need to be aligned, we must take the time now to carefully plan everything we can, to make sure they are delivered successfully.

“We are being ambitious with what we want to achieve, and to meet these ambitions means we need to get things right from the start.

“This project is very complex, but once they are completed it will make a long lasting, positive impact on the community, that will be felt across the Isle of Sheppey.

“Healthcare is a fundamental right and the expansion of the Healthy Living Centre will make sure that more people can access the healthcare they need.  

“Education is also being improved on the Isle of Sheppey with the funds being used to expand the college, the introduction of EKC and a new syllabus should create a better learning environment for the youth of the island.  

“While the newly refurbished Masters house is already helping young people start businesses of their own, increasing job opportunities and ultimately growing the local economy.  

“We would like to thank the UK government for this funding and every penny will go towards improving the community we love.

“There is still a lot of work to be done and we can’t wait to see the positive impact that we know these projects will have for the local community.”