Hopes of transforming Gravesend's historic Customs House building into a museum look to have been dashed by plans to convert it into flats.

Built in the early 19th Century, the landmark building in The Terrace served for many years as a base for HM Customs and Excise Service, followed by HM Revenue Customs, but the building lost its official use when it was vacated in 2018.

Now an application from Mile Property Group has been submitted to convert the heritage site into 27 flats, potentially quashing dreams of bringing a museum to the site.

Gravesend historian and former Gravesham councillor Mick Wenban said approving the new plan would represent a lost opportunity, adding: "When I was a councillor we did research this and I was told because it's a listed building they wouldn't be able to install an internal lift, so disabled people wouldn't have access.

"But I think where there's a will there's way. Will these new flats have a lift? I'm very disillusioned.

"It would be an excellent idea to have a museum. It's big enough and it's a historical building. It has a pier and pontoon, and one of the things we need is a pier and pontoon.

"It's a lost opportunity, definitely. There are so many artefacts that are squirrelled away - it's bad and the Gravesend historical society would love to have a museum at a site like that."

The new planning application, submitted to Gravesham council last month, states "the development will seek to fully respect the character and appearance of the Grade II listed buildings and to fully address the site's heritage and historic value to Gravesend.

"The proposal for the site is to reuse and sensitively upgrade the existing Grade II listed building and associated ancillary buildings to provide 27 residential units comprising of a mixture of one, two and three bedroom apartments and town houses."

The new development would include 10 apartments accommodated in the existing Customs House, with a single town house in the adjacent Coach House, which will be expanded with a single-storey extension.

Eight town houses are proposed within the outbuildings, while The Boathouse will accommodate a further four town houses and the Workshop will house a single residential dwelling

A final three town houses will be set within a new-build block.

"The Grade II Listed Gazebo and the adjacent riverside area will be thoroughly refurbished and brought back into communal use..."

The planning statement adds: "The development will bring the Grade II listed building back into an active use which will ensure the ongoing maintenance of this important heritage asset.

"The Grade II Listed Gazebo and the adjacent riverside area will be thoroughly refurbished and brought back into communal use.

It also states the development of Customs House will focus on "maintaining original room proportions" and will utilise the existing staircases, including the unsupported central staircase designed by Robert Adams.

It adds: "The approach of respectful, conservation has sought to minimise alterations to the external fabric wherever possible and where intervention is required they will match the appropriate original period style."

To view the full planning application click here.

To see more public notices, click here.

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