ROCHESTER

New owner commits to regenerative housing scheme at Rochester's University for the Creative Arts campus

27 January 2025In Rochester3 Minutes
The former University for the Creative Arts (UCA) campus in Rochester. Photo: Fort Pitt Limited

Plans to breathe new life into a former university in Rochester have taken a major step forward.

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) campus has been acquired by Fort Pitt Limited for £2.8 million, Future Medway can reveal.

Now a proposal to turn the 1.82-acre site into a contemporary, eco-friendly housing scheme is being drawn up.

Inside Rochester's derelict UCA campus, which closed in 2023. Photo: Fort Pitt Limited

The new owner, Fort Pitt Limited, is committed to repurposing the existing university building in a bid to cut carbon emissions through an urban regeneration initiative they call ‘ABC Living’.

This initiative, which endeavours to provide Affordable, Bespoke homes for Communities, focuses on taking existing underutilised assets – such as offices or old commercial properties – and refurbishing them into contemporary housing schemes.

Terry Pullen, director of Fort Pitt Limited, said: “Modern problems in housing require modern, creative solutions.

“The structural integrity of the old UCA Campus building is far too robust to demolish and rebuild unnecessarily.

“Through our ‘ABC’ model, we will upgrade the building to deliver housing which is both future-proofed and of great value to the people of Medway.”

The scheme has been earmarked to provide between 90 and 110 homes based on the existing footprint.

The 1970s building will be retained due to its structural integrity. Photo: Fort Pitt Limited

Currently, Medway has a high level of affordable housing need that is not being met.

A report, known as the North Kent Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), says that Medway needs to deliver 27,156 affordable homes over an eighteen-year period up to 2036.

This figure equates to 721 new affordable homes per year.

However, on average just 164 affordable homes per year were built in Medway between 2017/18 and 2020/21.

The campus sits at the top of Fort Pitt Hill and benefits from panoramic views across Medway. Photo: Fort Pitt Limited

UCA closed its Rochester campus, at the top of Fort Pit Hill, in September 2023 and put it up for sale in the same month.

It was marketed by estate agent Savills with initial pre-application plans featuring 128 flats on the site.

The campus was built in 1970 and produced some of the most famous names in the creative sector, including fashion designers Zandra Rhodes and Karen Millen, and artist Tracey Emin.

A planning application is expected to be submitted by Fort Pitt Limited early this year.