A major town centre regeneration project has been given a new lease of life after funds were approved to purchase a derelict plot and deliver a new "housing-led scheme".

The £75m Westgate cultural quarter was heralded as a "key milestone" in Dartford's transformation when it was approved by councillors in 2020.

But the original blueprint – which would have seen buildings and car park space between Spital Street and Hythe Street transformed into hundreds of new homes, a multi-screen cinema, a health and wellbeing centre and a string of restaurants and bars – became no longer workable after Brexit and Covid challenges.

Under the previous scheme, piloted by Muse Developments, the former Co-op building, which has sat vacant since 2007, was to be given a facelift to become a new 85-bed hotel.

The basis of the proposal was that it would independently finance the project and provide an indicative £2m land value receipt, generated upon completion. Dartford council would retain a freeholder interest with a peppercorn ground rent but no income.

However, a "challenging commercial market" over the next two years meant to make the scheme work financially it would need to increase dramatically in "size and scale".

The developer went back to the drawing board to revise plans but the council decided its proposals were no longer in keeping with the town's "traditional market-town character".

Instead, it is now seeking to acquire the "Co-op" site from the government's housing agency, Homes England, to bring forward its own "housing-led scheme".

This is proposed to be similar to the original scheme but would be on a "neighbourhood" scale and would no longer include the cinema.

Parts of the old Co-op store and its historic facade will be retained but other buildings that used to occupy the site will be demolished.

Last night, a cabinet meeting was held where the authority authorised costs of £250,000, on top of the £1.4m already underwritten in case the original plan didn't go ahead, to secure the land.

Explaining the rational to members, council leader Jeremy Kite (Con) said this will allow new plans to come forward shaped by local people, not developers.

"This is about us saying no to a big development," he said. "We are here to do something more fitting for our town centre.

"We are taking a brave stance to say this is our town and it needs to be Dartford-shaped not Lewisham-shaped."

Deputy leader Cllr Chris Shippam agreed, adding: "We are now masters of our own destiny and can decide what we want rather than have some undergraduate say 'this is what everyone wants'."

During the meeting Cllr Kite expressed disappointment at the NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group's (CCG) decision to no longer support a new health and wellbeing centre with GP services in the town.

The plans focussed on the delivery of the centre as part of the Co-op site development.

However, the CCG’s decision weakened the town's Future High Streets Fund bid and in January 2021, the council was advised that its bid for more cash to improve the high street was unsuccessful.

The council says it continues to believe the interests of Dartford residents would be best served by additional GPs but has "no powers to compel" the health body to act.