Arches Local
| File:Logo of Arches Local.png Arches Local logo | |
| Founded | 29 November 2022 |
|---|---|
| Type | Community Interest Company (CIC) |
| Location |
|
Region served | Central Chatham, Luton, The Brook |
Key people |
|
Parent organization | Local Trust (Big Local programme) |
Budget | £1,149,250 (Big Local funding, 2012-2026) |
| Website | archeslocal |
Arches Local is a Community Interest Company (CIC) based in Chatham, England. The organisation operates in the Shipwrights, Luton, and The Brook areas of Chatham, serving approximately 8,000 residents.[1] Arches Local functions as a resident-led organisation under the Big Local initiative, which is administered by Local Trust and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.[2]
Organisational history and funding
Big Local initiative and founding
Arches Local was established as part of the Big Local programme, a community-led regeneration initiative funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.[3] The organisation received £1,149,250 in funding on 1 February 2012 to support local community development.[3] The Big Local programme emphasizes community-led decision-making, allowing residents to determine fund allocation over a minimum period of ten years.[4] The National Lottery Community Fund provided £217 million to support Big Local across multiple areas.[5] Arches Local was formally incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC) on 29 November 2022, with company number 14513894 under the Companies House register.[1] The organisation's registered office was originally located at 13 Military Road, Chatham, and was relocated to The Marlowe Innovation Centre, Marlowe Way, Ramsgate on 30 September 2025.[6]
Governance and operations
Arches Local is structured as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital.[7] The organisation is governed by a board of directors that includes Peter James Dyer, Elizabeth Sarah Esposito, Kathryn Lucy Mechedou, Fiona Elizabeth Wiseman, and George Alexandrov Atzev.[8] Within the Big Local structure, Arches Local has served as a Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO), providing banking services, administering funds, and serving as the accountable body for fund distribution to partner organisations and local groups.[4] The organisation has worked in partnership with local voluntary sector bodies including Medway Voluntary Action, Medway Plus, Nucleus Arts, Olympia Boxing, Street Games, and Sport On Your Doorstep.[9]
Projects and activities
Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Plan
Arches Local played a foundational role in establishing the Arches 'Chatham' Neighbourhood Forum (ACNF), which became the qualifying body for Medway's first urban neighbourhood plan.[2] The ACNF was formally designated by Medway Council's Cabinet on 6 August 2019, establishing a neighbourhood area covering the Shipwrights, Luton, and The Brook localities.[10] The neighbourhood planning process began in 2017 and involved extensive community consultation through workshops and surveys.[11] The plan was submitted to Medway Council in late 2022 and underwent independent examination. The examiner recommended the plan proceed to referendum, subject to modifications.[12] A public referendum was held on 2 May 2024, with 727 votes (87.8%) in favour and 101 (12.2%) against, with a turnout of 832 voters (15.8% of the electorate).[13] Following the referendum result, Medway Council adopted the Neighbourhood Plan on 15 May 2024.[14] The plan addresses five policy areas: housing, built and natural environment, sustainable transport, local economy, and community spaces.[15]
Public art
Beginning in 2023, Arches Local initiated a public art programme featuring mural installations by various street artists across the neighbourhood. The murals depict local historical figures and stories, including Henry Charles Lawrence, a 19th-century gardener and shop owner; the discovery of a straight-tusked elephant skeleton in the area in 1913; William Mason, a resident who built an aircraft in his back garden in 1939; and Laura Richardson, documented as the first woman to ride a bicycle through Kent streets.[16]
Environmental initiatives
Arches Local has undertaken street tree planting programmes to address the area's lack of tree coverage. The initiative, supported by PostCode Local Trust funding, has planted various tree species including pear, birch, and Ginkgo Biloba.[17] The organisation also maintains community allotment spaces with raised beds for local food growing.[9]
Community programmes
Arches Local delivers the Fit & Fed programme, providing physical activity and food provision for young people during school holidays in partnership with local organisations.[18] The organisation has supported the revival of the Chatham Carnival and has coordinated community engagement activities.[9] In 2024, Arches Local worked with partners to install a public defibrillator on Chatham High Street.[19]
Geographical area
Arches Local serves a neighbourhood comprising three areas: Shipwrights, Luton, and The Brook, with approximately 8,000 residents in central Chatham.[2] The organisation's identity is linked to the Luton Arches, three railway underbridges built in 1858 that carry the London to Ramsgate main line over a valley.[20] The arches underwent refurbishment in 2021, a £652,000 project by Network Rail completed in April 2021.[21]
Community context
The neighbourhood served by Arches Local faces significant deprivation. According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation, the area ranks among the most deprived neighbourhoods in England, with particular challenges related to income, employment, crime, and health.[2] The area's economic challenges reflect its history as a naval town dependent on the Royal Naval Dockyard, which closed in 1984.[2]
Programme timeline
The Big Local programme funding for Arches Local is scheduled to conclude in 2026.[4] The adoption of the Neighbourhood Plan in May 2024 ensures that the community's planning framework will continue to guide development decisions beyond the funding period through Medway Council's formal planning processes.[14]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ARCHES LOCAL CIC overview - Companies House - GOV.UK". Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Plan - Regulation 16" (PDF). Medway Council. 2023-04-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "About Big Local". Local Trust. 2025-05-05. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "First area to spend Big Local £1.15m celebrates". Local Trust. 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "ARCHES LOCAL CIC filing history - Companies House". Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "ARCHES LOCAL CIC - Companies House". Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "ARCHES LOCAL CIC people - Companies House - GOV.UK". Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Community Cohesion". Arches Local. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Adopted Arches (Chatham) Neighbourhood Plan". Medway Council. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Plan - Consultation Statement" (PDF). Medway Council. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Plan Examination Report" (PDF). Medway Council. November 2023. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Arches (Chatham) Neighbourhood Plan referendum". Medway Council. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Adoption of Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Plan". Medway Council. 2024-05-14. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Arches (Chatham) Neighbourhood Plan Policy Areas". Medway Council. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Public Art Installations". Arches Local. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Luton's Urban Trees Movable Forest has landed!". Arches Local. 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Summer Fit & Fed 2023". Arches Local. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "June 2024 - Chatham". Arches Local. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "Chatham's historic Luton Arches railway bridge to be..." Railadvent. 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ↑ "New look for Chatham's historic Luton Arches as three-month refurbishment is completed". Future Chatham. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
External links
- Official Arches Local website
- Arches 'Chatham' Neighbourhood Forum website
- Local Trust - Big Local programme administrator
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