Hyde and Vistry reach highest point of latest phase at Rochester Riverside

Hyde and Vistry have hit a major milestone in the construction of their £419m Rochester Riverside regeneration scheme by reaching the highest point of Phase 7. This phase will deliver 154 homes as part of the transformative 1,400-home project in Kent, which is being developed by the Hyde and Vistry joint venture in partnership with Medway Council and Homes England.

This milestone was marked with a topping out ceremony held on 7 November 2025 at the top of Block A, attended by Janet Davies, Head of Regeneration at Medway Council, Neil Miller, Head of Development South for Homes England as well as Brendan Evans, Managing Director for Vistry Kent and Mike Finch, Hyde’s Regional Development Director.

Designed by architects BPTW, Phase 7 is providing 154 new homes, of which just over 50% will be affordable, in a mixture of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and one- and two-bedroom apartments. In addition, Phase 7 is delivering further open green spaces and play areas as part of the wider development, in addition to a further stage of the 2.5km river walkway which opened for use in early 2025, enabling connections through to the rest of the scheme.

The topping out follows the start of construction in December 2023 and the first completion on this phase in March 2025, with overall completion anticipated by January 2027.

In Phase 7 alone, Vistry and Hyde are contributing over £3.2m to the local community, including almost £1.4m for the river wall maintenance, almost £850,000 for local secondary schools and £600,000 of funding for parks and open spaces.

This milestone builds on the wider progress being made at Rochester Riverside, with construction due to start early next year on Phases 4 and 5 which will deliver 353 new homes and a new nursery.

Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the development have already been completed, delivering 502 new homes to new residents, as well as the two-form entry Rochester Riverside CofE Primary School, a new plaza surrounded by a Co-op, Costa and Travelodge hotel, and public open space including a river walkway. A retirement living facility has also been completed, owned and operated by Anchor, which has now welcomed its first residents.

Private homes are currently available for sale from £464,995 at Phase 7 through Countryside Homes, with a four-bedroom show home and two-bedroom show apartment available to view.

Brendan Evans, Managing Director for Vistry Kent, said: “Reaching the highest point of Phase 7 marks another significant step forward in the transformation of Rochester Riverside. Together with Hyde, Medway Council and Homes England, we’re continuing to turn a once underused stretch of riverside into a vibrant and inclusive neighbourhood that provides high-quality homes, open spaces, and vital community facilities.

“This milestone reflects the hard work and collaboration of everyone involved in the project. It’s fantastic to see how much progress has been made since we first broke ground, and we’re proud to be helping to create a sustainable new community that celebrates Rochester’s heritage while meeting local housing needs.”

Jaime Buckley, Group Development Director at Hyde, commented: “I’m thrilled that we’ve reached this important milestone at Rochester Riverside. It’s wonderful to see the buildings come to life but more importantly, it’s fantastic to see the community at Rochester Riverside continue to grow and thrive.

We’re delivering vital new homes and community spaces in the heart of Medway through our partnership with Vistry, Homes England and Medway Council and I’m looking forward to the future phases which promise to bring even more much needed high quality, sustainable homes to people who really need them.”

Cllr Simon Curry, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration, added: “This is a significant moment in one of the most important regeneration projects currently underway in Medway. Rochester Riverside is a flagship project in our regeneration programme, and it’s fantastic to see how it’s transforming this underused riverside location into an attractive new neighbourhood for a new thriving community.

“This is exactly the kind of sustainable development we need – a former brown field site which has now been transformed into a wonderful place to live – and it shows how Medway Council can work in close partnership with developers for the benefit of the whole community and the future of Medway, helping us meet housebuilding targets while making Medway a great place to live, work, learn and visit.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved and I can’t wait to see how progress moves on in the coming months.”

Neil Miller, Head of Development (South) at Homes England, said: “This topping out marks the next important step in the regeneration of Rochester Riverside and demonstrates how strong partnerships can deliver real change. Through our collaboration with Vistry, Hyde and Medway Council, we’re helping to create a vibrant, sustainable community with much-needed homes, new public spaces and improved connectivity.”