Kings Hill – one of Europe’s first and largest sustainable communities

Crowning glory

Brief

• Kings Hill is one of Europe’s largest sustainable communities - a garden village combining a business park with residential neighbourhoods, schools, shops, restaurants and cafés alongside community, sports and leisure amenities within 800 acres in Kent on the site of former MoD airfield RAF West Malling. It is being developed by US-based Liberty Property Trust and Kent County Council in a joint private/public sector partnership. 
• It is currently in its third phase of development, which, in response to the current housing crisis, includes more housing and additional community amenities. Liberty actively engages with residents and tenants to ascertain their views on the development. 
• Fiercely proud of Kings Hill’s heritage as a key wartime airbase, Liberty has meticulously restored the iconic art deco Control Tower and throughout the village has included reminders of its past. It also promotes the soft and social infrastructure needed for successful placemaking by supporting the arts, having commissioned public artworks and holding exhibitions for up and coming artists.
• Maxim’s brief is to communicate the advantages of Kings Hill as an established place to live, work and enjoy leisure time to potential house buyers, prospective business tenants and the wider community.
• Particular emphasis for media relations is placed upon promoting Kings Hill as a busy, vibrant community as well as a well-connected place to do business, to live and to relax.

Results and highlights

• Kings Hill is recognised by the property press and regional business press as the exemplar for mixed-use development, delivered through the negotiation by Maxim of interviews, editorial features and press releases to announce new arrivals, developments and investments. 

• Maxim acts as a press office for Kings Hill, taking enquiries, and developing and monitoring responses. 

• As part of reinforcing good relations with local residents, Maxim is delivering an ongoing series of community newsletters. 

• Kings Hill is Maxim’s longest standing client, having worked with the team since early 1996.