The Labour group has been a constant critic of the town’s regeneration plans.

Proposals for a seven-screen cinema, restaurants and retail units plus a multi-storey car park, public square and new housing have all been knocked along the way. Even more so now a planning application has been submitted to Swale council by its regeneration partner Spirit of Sittingbourne. So the News Extra asked the party what it would do if it were in power.

Spokesman Roger Truelove said: “Obviously if this scheme proceeds, then a Labour council would have to go forward with it as a starting point. But there would be a different approach.

“This would partly require a change in the way the council manages and staffs this kind of ambitious programme. Too many people are currently trying to manage this project on top of their regular contract.

“We need to assign responsibility to officers and councillors to go out pro-actively to find a range of developers for different parcels of potentially good land.

“Regeneration does not just mean building new properties out of keeping with the existing built environment. We need to focus much more on what is already there, the old cinema for example. It must focus much more on the existing High Street.

“We need to build in much more cultural, community and heritage elements into the package. This plan is little more than housing, a bit of retail and a cinema.”

Mr Truelove says he makes no apology for being critical about the scheme. He added: “There are millions of pounds involved and it is the opposition’s responsibility to subject policies to very close scrutiny. I speak for the Sittingbourne Labour councillors and, I believe, for most of the public. I have wider concerns about the whole business strategy associated with the Spirit of Sittingbourne scheme.

“I have always been dubious about the wisdom of committing to just one developer. It leads to a scheme that isolates much of the town.

“The developer concerned has had success in London where the yield on property sales is considerable and produces funding for community projects. I am not sure this transfers to Sittingbourne. Even if planning permission is agreed, there will still be considerable challenges to meet in securing the capital for the complex of six developments.

“And, I have strong doubts about this scheme as a whole producing the capital for further regeneration in the town.

“I am therefore concerned that Sittingbourne will possibly see some sporadic development but with much of the town being left in a derelict state.

“To save this scheme, the council took on the responsibility for building the multi-storey car park. I am uneasy about this and also uneasy about the possibility that further raids on the reserves will be made to rescue this project.

“I know how much many families in the town will look forward to a cinema complex. However, this has to be commercially viable and it is fair to ask whether there is a market for a seven- screen cinema.”

What do you think? Email sittingbourne@thekmgroup.co.uk