A huge hand-painted tiled mural has been erected at a pumping station in Chatham, Kent to mark a £750k investment in the site and to support regeneration of the local area.
The 20-metre-long mural consists of 612 hand-painted tiles and has been unveiled at Southern Water’s historic Rats Bay Surface Water Pumping Station in Chatham.
Dutch artist José den Hartog and British artist Nicole Mollett were commissioned to create the tiled mural, taking inspiration from Chatham’s maritime history, the river ecology and waterworks engineering.
The mural artwork is part of the Chatham Waterfront development and was commissioned by Medway Development Company, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and with permission from Southern Water.
The Medway Council Culture Team and the Medway Development Corporation have supported the artists through the project, which was developed by the artists working with Francis Knight Public Art Consultancy.
Southern Water’s site upgrades include installing greener electric motors to power four giant Archimedes Screws, which were previously driven by old diesel engines, as part of efforts to improve resilience at the station following previous incidents of flooding following heavy rain.
Tris Osborne Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford MP, who visited the site recently, said: “I very much welcome the investment in this pumping station, given it serves the Chatham high street and wider urban community that has suffered from flooding incidents previously, including in 2024.
“I am pleased this has been identified as a priority and work is already taking place to upgrade the infrastructure. I appreciated the tour given by Southern Water and their engagement with Medway Council and the Pentagon Centre
“This, alongside other improvement works, should give certainty to business and residents that future flooding events are unlikely.”
Charlene Malone, centre manager at the Pentagon Shopping Centre, said: “The upgrades at Rats Bay Pumping Station will not only improve resilience for the community but also give confidence to local businesses and visitors alike.
“It’s also inspiring to see essential infrastructure improvements paired with a striking piece of public art that celebrates Chatham’s history and identity.”
Cllr Simon Curry, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for climate change and strategic regeneration, said: “We welcome the investment into this important infrastructure for Chatham at the pumping station, and it is encouraging to see that greener technology is prioritised.
“It is also fantastic to see the new public artwork down at the site as part of the Chatham Waterfront development and wider regeneration of Chatham – if you haven’t had the opportunity to take a look at it yet, I would encourage you to do so.”
The £750k upgrade work began in early September and also includes the replacement of a tidal flap – a one-way hinged gate that lets water out but stops it from getting back in – and the replacement of bearings on the Archimedes Screws.
All upgrades are expected to be complete by the end of November 2025.
