ArcelorMittal appoints Olympia architects SPPARC for Chatham Docks masterplan
London-based architecture studio SPPARC has been appointed by manufacturing conglomerate ArcelorMittal Kent Wire to design a new masterplan for Chatham Docks in Kent, the South East’s last remaining non-tidal port in operation.
In support of the docks’ 400-year-old legacy as a pan-European port hub, proposals will see the addition of 100,000 sqm of new innovative energy efficient industrial floorspace and the creation of approximately 2,500 new high-quality jobs across the site. Existing businesses, which currently house 800 R&D and advanced manufacturing jobs on-site, will also be retained with their operations efficiency greatly improved.
ArcelorMittal Kent Wire’s distribution network at Chatham Docks currently employs skilled engineers operating state-of-the-art manufacturing facility supplying steel reinforcement products to the UK construction industry, shipping berths, mechanical cargo handling equipment and haulage to unload essential imports supporting the national supply chains. Recent analysis carried out by the Association of Chatham Docks Commercial Operators and ArcelorMittal suggest that prospective closure of the docks to advance alternative plans proposed by the freeholder, Peel Land & Property to replace the docks for high density residential use, could see a £258m loss to the Medway economy each year.
The proposed SPPARC masterplan focuses on eco-conscious industrial districts of the future and includes the creation of a green landscaped riverfront route linking St. Mary’s Island, an established part of the Chatham Maritime development area in Medway, with Chatham Waters’ shopping offer on the mouth of the peninsula; new piers to improve the efficiency of the basin and green buffer zones and community spaces adjacent to the historic lock gates.
SPPARC’s portfolio includes major regeneration schemes including the £1.2bn redevelopment of Olympia, West Kensington for Yoo Capital, and the highly acclaimed Borough Yards for MARK. Sensitive regeneration of historic assets is a hallmark of SPPARC’s approach, which they seek to reaffirm at Chatham Docks.
In 2021, the freeholders Peel Land & Property announced their preferred plans to close the commercial port in 2025 in favour of a high-density, residential-led scheme.
Opposition to Peel’s scheme contends that the closure of a commercially profitable port is an unnecessary loss of nationally significant infrastructure, at a time when environmental considerations put a spotlight on sea freight as a low carbon alternative to international air freight and road logistics.