New community campus breathes life into Dartford’s Bridge development
The heart of the £500million Bridge development is now beating with the opening of the first purpose built Kent County Council community and learning campus at the Bridge, Dartford.
It is a first for Kent and was formally opened today by Kevin Lynes Chair of the Kent Thameside Board, Councillor Jeremy Kite, Leader of Dartford Borough Council and Wayne Hemingway of Hemingway Designs.
Local people from the community were also there to celebrate the opening with supporters and representatives from the many organisations involved in setting up the campus. A tree was planted in the sensory garden as a lasting testament to the new place.
The campus sits within a 264 acre site and includes:
- A primary school
- Nursery for 26 places
- Healthcare and social services facilities
- Sports hall
- Youth and adult education centres
- Community room
The £10million state of the art designed campus is set to become a one-stop-shop destination for those living and working in the area. The campus has been nominated for a Royal Institute of British Architects. (RIBA) It includes a central ‘funnel’, which is in keeping with the nearby river, and has an floating roof similar to the Eden Project. The building has many environmental features and is designed to maximise daylight.
The school opened its doors in September 2009 for the new academic year and is now up and running with more than 60 students across three classes. The nursery will also be run by the school which means that their children will be able to pass from the nursery to the primary for an all-round education.
Chair of the Kent Thameside Board and KCC Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development Kevin Lynes said:
“This excellent building is the first of its kind in Kent offering something for everyone. This is all about providing a new place at the centre of a community for the community. As more people move into the new homes, it will grow to suit their needs as we are putting the infrastructure in place before more housing is built. It is economical, green and the sign of things to come as local people will be able to educate their children go to evening class or jump on the bus to Bluewater, Dartford and Ebbsfleet, all from one place.”
The Leader of Dartford Borough Council Cllr. Jeremy Kite added:
“Today marks the culmination of a huge amount of hard work to bring about this truly unusual and distinctive facility in what is becoming a landmark community for Dartford”.
Speaking at the event leading design consultant, Wayne Hemingway said:
“We jumped at the chance to get involved in this project. Life is about living in a place and enjoying that. The best thing is about seeing kids using the building, being enthused and having a good time. That’s what The Bridge is about.”
Senior Vice President at ProLogis Paul Weston said:
“At The Bridge, we are aiming to create a community that supports new ideas and that encourages everyone to reach their full potential. The opening of the learning and community campus is an important step forward because it offers such a wide range of facilities and opportunities for everybody who lives and works here.”
Notes to editors
The Learning and Community campus is a KCC building:
The Kent Adult Social services (KASS) Community Resource within the campus will provide support for individuals with learning disabilities and additional complex needs. The space has been designed so it can be used flexibly linked to the community hall. The fully accessible kitchen and changing area are for the use of the whole building. Services will be delivered depending on the needs and wishes of the individuals who live on site. There will be some activities offered such as, cookery, multi-sensory sessions, positioning and physiotherapy. The team will work closely with family carers, health professionals, care management and those who are important in helping people’s wellbeing.
The Bridge for Young People is a new and exciting Kent Youth Service facility which aims to help young people’s personal and social development through informal education. A programme of opportunities linked to the curriculum will be offered to those aged 13-19 in an environment which is fun, friendly, challenging and creative. Those with additional needs can access the service up to the age of 25. Accredited, nationally recognised courses will be offered. There will be the opportunity to showcase art-work in specialist gallery areas. The Art room will have a focus on fashion and textiles. The room will also be used for other art projects such as painting and photography. There will be an activity space with internet, games, Karaoke, Playstation, and Wii. There will be a coffee bar and a terrace.The kitchen will provide mean the young people can learn cookery.
Kent Libraries and Archives will have an Access Point in the Reception area to provide services normally found in public libraries or on home computers. There will be computers linked to the library’s catalogue of more than 3million items. library stock can be renewed and ordered online. The Access Point is unstaffed and does not have a stock of books – it is a taster out in the community encouraging people to explore and enjoy Dartford’s libraries.
Specialist Children’s Services (which now includes Educational Psychology and Attendance and Behaviour Service) will be delivering activities alongside other partners in the Family Centre at the Bridge. The space is designed to be flexible and comfortable and be able to accommodate a varied range of activities including supervised contact for looked after children, parenting groups and family assessments.
The Community Meeting Room is a village hall and is available for hire to local residents, community groups and businesses. There is a functioning kitchen which is fully disability compliant, with base units that are height adjustable. This kitchen is shared with KCC’s Adult Social Services and supports the ethos of integrated services.
The campus has been designed to be hired out as much as possible outside of core service hours, helping to ensure that this is an effective and efficient resource for the community. This is beginning to happen already with the Beacon Church meeting on a Sunday, business meetings taking place and children’s parties and events.
- The Campus has been funded by Dartford Borough Council, ProLogis Developments and George Wimpey
- The Bridge Development is situated next to the QE2 bridge
- The Bridge is the most advanced regeneration scheme in The Thames Gateway
- 1500 homes will be built as part of the development
- Hazle McCormack Young (HMY) were the Campus architects
- Contractor for the development was Mansell Construction Services Ltd.
Wayne Hemingway is a leading design consultant and co-founded with his wife, Geraldine, the Red Or Dead clothing brand in the 1980′s. Wayne is Chairman of the South Coast Design Forum.
