We recently participated in a community consultation at St Margaret’s Millenium Centre in Rainham, Kent, sharing our ambitions for the regeneration of the town centre.

‘Rainham Reimagined’ was instigated to improve and develop the public spaces in the town that have been lost or compromised from uninspired development in the late 20^th century. It sets out the groundwork needed to revitalise the town centre by engaging with local groups to provide guidance for future improvements. We aimed to find idiosyncrasies and heritage that makes the area unique, and what built fabric could be adapted for contemporary needs.

Initially we engaged with the community in a variety of ways, including informal conversations, online surveys and a public meeting. We gathered insights, concerns and knowledge from locals about how to adapt the town. This data was then shared back to the community, with desired improvements including better street lighting, more inclusive public realms, better access, the inclusion of a market and developing stronger night-time amenities.

Two key themes emerged: environment and connectivity, unified by a strong community sense of pride and place. A phased strategy of small interventions, community-led pilots, and design proposals can be refined and scaled, increasing potential for future investment opportunities.