Rochester and Strood (UK Parliament constituency) mixed use developments will include some 3,000 plus new mixed tenure homes, offices and shops, two new hotels, restaurants, river walks and open spaces and links to historic Rochester. The Rochester constituency has ancient origins dating to the 16th century, but it has seen many changes in the 20th century. From 1885–1918 the wider area was split between Chatham, Gillingham and the "old", rural, Medway constituency. The Chatham seat joined Rochester to form Rochester and Chatham in 1950, which formed the core of Medway in 1983. When the boroughs of Rochester upon Medway and Gillingham merged in 1998 to form,
Maidstone Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Tenterden. Most services are operated by Arriva and some operated by Nu-Venture. Stagecoach also operates route 10X in the town to Ashford via Lenham, with most buses continuing onto Hythe and Folkestone. There are weekday commuter coach services between Maidstone and London. Former bus operators in Maidstone include Maidstone & District Motor Services (M&D); Maidstone Borough Council Transport, later Boro'line Maidstone; and Bygone Buses. In 2004 the centenary of Maidstone Corporation Transport was marked with several events, featuring a preserved Maidstone trolleybus. When the railways were built in the 1840s, Maidstone was not well served. It