Kent canal project takes off

Work has started on a regeneration project in Kent Thameside, within the Thames Gateway. Developer Countryside Properties says more than 50 boats will be lifted from the Gravesend Canal Basin so it can be dredged to allow larger yachts to moor. The developer plans to build more than 1,000 homes on the site, with leisure, retail and commercial facilities, including a neighbourhood centre. It is also working with Gravesham Borough Council to transform disused industrial land and buildings surrounding the site. Countryside Properties says the basin should be reflooded next March, ensuring minimum interruption to the sailing season.