Retail and services expand at waterfront development
Retail chain Savers is set to open a new store at Dockside, Chatham Maritime, after agreeing a 10-year lease for a newly configured unit of 4,500 sq ft. The deal is the latest in a series of lettings intended to broaden the waterfront site's appeal to local residents and visitors.
Scheme owner WD Ltd has reconfigured two existing spaces to create the larger unit required by the health and beauty retailer. The signing continues a planned shift to a mixed-use destination on the 300-acre regeneration zone that houses dockyards, an independent distillery and a marina.
“The addition of Savers further diversifies our line-up at Dockside, which serves a fast-growing community across the Medway region.”
The comment came from Peter Everest, managing director of WD Ltd, who said the development team had been steadily evolving the scheme over the past two years. He described the offer as becoming "truly mixed-use, all-day", combining retail with dining, workspace and health services.
What this means for Chatham residents
For residents in Chatham and the wider Medway area, the arrival of another national retailer is part of a broader local ambition: to make Dockside a day-to-evening hub where people can shop, eat and access services without travelling into central Rochester or further afield. WD Ltd says the scheme is approaching near 100% occupancy, a sign its repositioning is attracting interest from a variety of operators.
Recent changes to the entrance area and new lettings are intended to support that ambition. Occupiers who have joined Dockside in the recent period include a mix of food and drink outlets and community-focused businesses.
- Sotto Lounge — dining
- McDonald's — quick-service restaurant
- Bakers + Baristas — cafe
- YouMeSushi — food outlet
- Humanly (an IWG brand) — treatment-ready spaces for medical, therapy, wellness, beauty and fitness professionals
Leasing agents retained for Dockside are KLM Real Estate and JP Retail. Their role has been to market remaining units and help shape the tenant mix as the scheme moves away from a pure retail park model towards a mixed-use waterside destination.
Growth, jobs and the longer-term picture
Local leaders and developers typically present such lettings as supporting economic growth and creating jobs, but the precise employment impact of a single shop opening depends on the store format and whether staff are recruited locally. For shoppers, a national high-street brand joining the scheme can mean more choice closer to home; for smaller local businesses, the changing footfall patterns that come with larger chains can be a challenge or an opportunity, depending on the sector.
Dockside’s ongoing redevelopment sits within a wider strategy to regenerate the Chatham Maritime area. That plan seeks to knit together residential, leisure and commercial uses around the existing marina and historic docklands, with the aim of boosting local services and attracting visitors.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| New Savers unit | 4,500 sq ft; 10-year lease |
| Site | Dockside, Chatham Maritime (part of a 300-acre regeneration zone) |
| Leasing agents | KLM Real Estate and JP Retail |
As Dockside fills out, questions for local residents and planners will include how the mix of national and independent operators affects the character of high street provision in Chatham, and whether the scheme delivers the kinds of community services and employment its backers promise. For now, the arrival of Savers is another visible sign of change on the waterfront, bringing a familiar high-street name to a site that is being reshaped for everyday local use as well as leisure.
