Our organisation Intra Arts and our venue INTRA are named after the local area, Chatham Intra, a historical name that reflected the ‘in-between’ status of this place – located right next to Chatham, but administered by Rochester. Traditionally an area that hosted those outside of the mainstream, and a place that has had many turns of fortune.

Forming part of the High Street conservation area between the bottom of Star Hill in Rochester and Sun Pier in Chatham, this stretch of road is now the focus of a Medway Council led project, the High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HAZ), which is looking to give the street a boost.

The HAZ scheme, backed by government funding, aims to help with the recovery of local high streets, from regenerating historic buildings to helping to engage local communities through art and cultural projects.

The area has been awarded £1.6m Heritage Action Zone funding from Historic England for regeneration in the area. The focus is on bringing the history and heritage of the area back to life, and boosting the local economy by 2024.

An online Open Space meeting in October 2020 started the process of engaging with local residents, businesses and people who visit the area, with the aim of forming steering groups for the project. A report from the Open Space meeting can be downloaded here.

If you are interested in following the project please visit the council’s website and to get involved or sign up to their mailing list, email HAZ@medway.gov.uk to contact the project team.
medway.gov.uk/heritageactionzone/