• Business Success
• Awards

When Shell vacated the KSP site, then one of its two research centre, in 1995, more than 1,000 people lost their jobs and nearly half a million square feet of specialist buildings were vacated - a bitter blow to the Swale economy.

For many years the Swale economy has underperformed the rest of Kent.  In turn, the County has performed below the South East average.  As a result of the 20% unemployment on Sheppey in the 1990's the area was designated an "Intermediate Assisted Area".

However, since that low point, with the new Swale Crossing and funding from the Sustainable Communities Fund, Swale Forward has engendered a renewed confidence in the area with major projects at Sittingbourne town centre, Milton Creek, the Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road at Queenborough/Rushenden and elsewhere.

During this time Kent Science Park has been the economic saviour of the area, creating over 1,000 jobs since 1996 with more than 80 companies in technology and knowledge based industries at the Science Park today.