Town Centre revamp continues

Sittingbourne regeneration works under-way

More work has begun on the regeneration programme in Sittingbourne this week.
The spirit of Sittingbourne regeneration will create a brand new 8 screen cinema, six new restaurants including Pizza Express & Wildwood, as well as a new 300 space multi car park. The first phase of works on the complex in the centre of Sittingbourne will begin next Monday, with a new temporary entrance to the Forum car park. The entrance will be in place while the works are carried out on the car park to improve drainage and resurfacing. The main re-surfacing will begin on Monday, and will see car parking spaces closest to the Forum Shopping Centre closed off and re-positioned, including Disabled parking spaces. The Forum Shopping Centre Manager told us: Shoppers will still be able to enjoy the Forum during the building works, and we will still have the same amount of Disabled parking spaces, although these will be moved elsewhere, the new spaces will be connected to the centre by a level route and we will work to ensure that minimal disruption is made”
Excavation works will begin later this week and diversions will be in place, in preparation for the new multi-storey car park off Dover Street.

The current works have seen the return of the closure of the westbound carriage way of St Michael’s Road between and the Fire Station. This closure will be in place for the following 3 weeks, meaning motorists follow a diversion route taking them alongside the Forum, and using the Bus & Taxi lane opposite the Train station.

Works are also affecting the traffic using Station Street this week with excavation works taking place outside Kent Mart (the former Peter Birch newsagents building).

More Roadworks causing travel issues

Traffic is also being affected along the A2 this week due to roadworks at the junction of Chalkwell Road where it meets London Road. These works are not connected with the regeneration works, but are causing long delays in the town throughout the day. Queues are forming as far as the junction with Rock Road, and traffic is causing problems in Chalkwell Road outside Tesco’s, as traffic queues on a narrow section of the road. The Roadworks are expected to be in place until the end of the week.

Memories of Sittingbourne’s Town Centre Past

With the works continuing to revamp the centre of Sittingbourne, it’s urged us here at BRFM to gather memories of Sittingbourne’s past. Do you remember when a “Subway” connected the Train Station area to inside the Forum Shopping Centre? Parts of the Subway can still be seen outside Lang’s Cocktail Bar (Formally The Globe & Engine Pub). The popular Peter Birch Newsagents used to sit proudly opposite the Forum Shopping Centre, stocking Newspapers, Sweets, Greetings Cards & Seasonal items. Or do you remember the Swimming Baths that used to sit along St. Michael’s Road, before its move to its current location in the Avenue of Remembrance?