The Medway Gap ‘ Valley of Vision’ Partnership has announced significant Heritage Lottery Fund success.

The partnership which came together to try to secure a bright future for the landscape heritage of the Medway gap has received great news from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The bid led by the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit (AONB) to HLFs’ Landscape Partnership Scheme for £1.8m has been successful at Stage 1. This means that the HLF has supported the initial application but are seeking more detail before money is spent on the ground.

The bid was developed by a wide ranging partnership. During the development of the bid there was detailed public consultation and involvement. As the ‘ Valley of Vision’ landscape partnership scheme develops the local community will be invited to be even more involved.The £2.4 million scheme will invest in the landscape and countryside of the Medway Gap and will provide new celebration activities and record memories and conserve elements of the important industrial heritage of the area.
We are very grateful to all of the organisations who are already involved in the partnership. There is a lot more work to do before we start spending any funding though – we have now to develop the details of the programmes and projects we have outlined. We are just now completing the details of how we carry out the ‘development stage’. There is a lot of hard work to do yet, but we are very confident that we will be successful and there will be significant investment in the landscape and historical heritage as well as the communities of the Medway Gap.

The Medway Gap Valley of Vision Partnership includes: the Kent Downs AONB Unit, Kent County Council, the Kent Wildlife Trust, the Countryside Agency, the Medway Valley Countryside Project, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, Medway Council, the British Horse Society, Snodland Historical Society, The Halling Association, and the key local landowners Trenport Investments Ltd and Lafarge Cement.