Council takes full ownership of land needed for development
Canterbury City Council has taken full ownership of all the land needed for the Riverside development at Kingsmead.
The £115 million project, which is predominantly on the site of the former coach park and Serco depot, features a five-screen Curzon cinema, bars, restaurants, a public square, 189 affordable homes for local people and student accommodation.
Over the coming weeks, the final legal steps will be taken to transfer the site to the council’s development partner, Linkcity. Building work will then start on-site not long after that, with the whole project expected to be completed in 2023.
Kingsmead car park and the footbridge into the car park from Kingsbrook Park are closed in preparation. More than 200 car parking spaces will be provided in the new development.
Council Leader Cllr Rob Thomas said: “It has been a long time coming but we are delighted to have got to this significant milestone of full site ownership. Although much of the land was ours already, there were several smaller areas that were privately owned and we have had to work hard to secure these.
“Regeneration of the Kingsmead area has been a long-held ambition for us and we know there is lots of public support for the project. Top quality leisure facilities and much-needed affordable housing, alongside student accommodation that Canterbury is still short of, will transform this tired area of the city.
“We’re looking forward to seeing work getting underway in a few weeks’ time and our vision for Kingsmead finally being realised.”
