Named in honour of Medway Council’s late director of public health, funded in partnership with NHS Kent and Medway and Medway Council, and managed by Medway Community Healthcare (MCH), the facility brings two GP practices and a range of community health services under one roof in an easily accessible high street location.
The £15m centre has been built by contractor Bauvill and designed by healthcare specialists LSI Architects. Construction commenced in autumn 2024 and has been completed over the last 18 months.
By repurposing an underutilised floor of the Pentagon Shopping Centre, the project demonstrates how town centre assets can be reimagined to deliver meaningful public benefit. Rather than requiring new construction, the scheme breathes new life into existing built fabric, aligning with NHS Net Zero carbon ambitions while simultaneously supporting high street footfall and the broader regeneration vision for Chatham set out in the 2018 masterplan for the town.
Mirja Mainwaring, project director at LSI Architects, said: “Retrofitting healthcare into buildings not designed for it is never without its challenges. The James Williams Healthy Living Centre required us to bring all of our healthcare design expertise into the technical coordination of the project.
“In resolving any challenge, there was often a knock-on impact to consider. The team designed a raised access floor to accommodate drainage connections that are vital in healthcare facilities, but this had to be balanced with the need to meet the standard minimum ceiling height in consulting and examination rooms, for example.”
Max Scally, head of pre-construction at Bauvill, commented: “Retrofitting a modern NHS facility into an existing shopping centre required a level of coordination and problem-solving that goes well beyond a standard fit-out. We are incredibly proud of the way everyone came together to navigate what was a technically complex and demanding build.”
NHS Kent and Medway chief executive Adam Doyle said: “It’s fantastic to see this healthy living centre open for the people of Chatham to use. The healthy living centre will help us achieve our neighbourhood health remit, a new way of delivering health and care services that focuses on supporting people closer to home, in their local communities, and helping them stay well for longer. Healthcare experts will be able to respond better to local needs and provide care that feels simpler, more connected and more personal.”
MCH MD Martin Riley added: “This centre has been in plans for years and I’m proud that MCH is a part of this embodiment of our local commitment to the NHS Long Term Plan and place-based care. It has been a true partnership project in every way and I’m grateful to our colleagues at Medway Council and NHS Kent and Medway for their contributions and valuable experience throughout.”