Ironmonger Yard provides a sustainable, urban-centre solution to help Medway meet its significant need for new homes, in an area with a lack of deliverable land. The proposal will provide affordable housing alongside a mix of other property types.
Donard Living would work with registered housing providers to ensure high quality management of the new affordable homes.
To help sustain a balanced community, the proposed homes would provide a mix of tenures in a range of sizes to cater for individuals, couples and families, in a central location within easy reach of Rochester, Chatham and Strood, as well as mainline rail services to London.
The new residents would help to support existing and new local businesses by generating more spending in the area, for instance in retail and hospitality.
The homes would:
This development will transform an area of brownfield land that has been unused for many years, improving a badly neglected site at the end of the historic Rochester High Street. The design of the scheme creates a strong street edge, and the mixed tenure of the scheme creates an inclusive community.
It also improves upon an existing planning permission, offering a greater variety of homes in more sympathetically-designed buildings which will complement the local architectural vernacular, in particular through the use of bricks in the construction of the building, high quality paving and planting, and traditional roof shapes.
Landscaping will open up the area, offering high quality public realm with low-level planting and urban trees, including a pedestrian link between the historic High Street and the emerging residential development of Rochester Riverside.
Employment opportunities will be created both during construction and upon completion.
The buildings will breathe new life into this neglected area of land near the end of the historic High Street, and sit well between it and Rochester Riverside.
Ironmonger Yard will:
As an under-used brownfield regeneration site, Ironmonger Yard is already a highly sustainable location, with the opportunity to improve its environmental performance.
Medway Council has declared a climate emergency, and Ironmonger Yard is looking to help in getting to Net Zero by 2050 by following the new Part L standards.
We understand and appreciate concerns over existing and future fuel poverty and are doing our best to ensure all new developments combat this for future tenants. As a result, Ironmonger Yard will include low-cost, energy efficient, highly insulated homes by introducing air source heat pump systems supplemented by photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the buildings. Mechanical heat recovery will keep the heat in while rooms are still ventilated.
The new development will also introduce high levels of internal safe and secure bicycle storage for residents, while at least 20% of car parking spaces will have electric vehicle charging points.
Ironmonger Yard occupies a highly sustainable location with Rochester Railway Station and the High Street and Jackson’s Field just a few minutes’ walk away.
