Innovation Centre to be created at Rochester AirfieldThe news is now out: the Medway Innovation Centre is to be created in a re-built hangar on the Rochester Airfield site, close to the airport itself.
In common with a number of successful similar projects around the country, firms based at the centre will be able to boast an "airport address", something that has been shown to add prestige and accessibility to existing innovation centre-based outfits elsewhere in Britain. here in Kent, land-locked as we are behind London and with ever-incresing road congestion, it is even more vital than in other places that we have light aviation cpabalities, and ideal to have those facilities right next door!
As has been known to industry in general, and to the Conservative administration of Medway Council all along, the continued operation of Rochester Airport is essential to the future prosperity of the Medway Towns—it's not an option that can be discarded, as leading industry figures have privately disclosed to local ward councillors.
Indeed, the airport can be brought up to modern standards, including being able to take the new generation of small ultra-quiet jet aircraft, which are actually noticeably quieter than propeller-based 'planes.
A real coup for Medway is getting no less than Oxford Innovstion Ltd on board as Medway Council's partner, as seems almost certain to happen. An innovative re-design for the building that will not make it intrusive (it will even be the same height) will add to the sheer feel of quality that the whole project .
Contrary to the Labour and LibDem joint proposals for the airfield site that were sneaked into the Medway Local Plan (which were, in reality, for warehousing and not as was claimed for a so-called Science and Technology Park), this scheme really will bring high-quality employment opportunities to Medway.
And, as a bonus, we'll still have a (much improved) small airport as well!