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No name for Spirit of Sittingbourne complex in town centre

London has Leicester Square and Maidstone has Lockmeadow but the identity of Sittingbourne’s new cinema and restaurant area is yet to be announced.

It was thought the name had slipped out last week when Pizza Express – one of the new faces destined for the town – put in an application for a premises licence and used “Spring Square” as its address.

The national chain is to open a branch as part of a £57 million revamp being led by the Spirit of Sittingbourne consortium, which includes Swale council.

How the town centre will look
How the town centre will look

It is due to be housed in the same building as the multiplex cinema complex planned for The Forum car park, which will be paid for and owned by the council.

The Italian restaurant could open as soon as August next year, says Spirit, alongside Wildwood and four other chains that are yet to be announced. An application has gone in for it to serve alcohol until midnight and have opening hours of 11am to 12.30am.

But it is unlikely its address will remain “Spring Square”.

A new town square would be surrounded by a Travelodge and multi-screen cinema and restaurants
A new town square would be surrounded by a Travelodge and multi-screen cinema and restaurants

A spokesman for Spirit said: “Spring Square is a marketing name only, describing the new public square, restaurants, cinema and hotel.

“It’s commonplace to use a temporary marketing name when discussing commercial opportunities with potential tenants.

“This temporary name for the site was inspired by the origins of the name ‘Sittingbourne’ itself – the town’s name came from the fact that there is a small stream, or ‘bourne’, running underground in part of the town."

“It was anciently written Sedingbourne, in Saxon, Saedingburga, ie ‘the hamlet by the bourne or small stream’.”

Spirit would not be drawn on what it intends to call the area or when it plans to announce it.

So, in the meantime, what do you think the new square should be called?

Get in touch by emailing sittingbourne@thekmgroup.co.uk.

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