St Mary's Island, Kent
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St Mary's Island, Kent, is part of the Chatham Maritime development area, located at the northern end of Chatham, adjacent to Brompton and Gillingham. Once part of the Royal Dockyard, Chatham, the area had consisted of a mixture of sports fields and warehousing in the later years of the Royal Navy's time in the area - although local urban legend has it that the area was subject to radioactivity. (No evidence in support of this is known.)
In the late 1990s, government agency English Partnerships and housing developer Countryside, came together to build homes on the island, under the development name Countryside Maritime. In due course, some parcels of land were allowed to be developed by other builders, including Redrow.
As well as several thousand new homes, there is a primary school (recently expanded), a community centre, and a doctor's surgery. A pharmacy is due to open in around 2007. There is extensive open space between housing parcels, as well as sports fields and play areas.
There is only one permanent road access onto the island, with good local security, making the island safer than the average new housing development.
