Plans have been revealed for a new "civic heart" to form the cornerstone of the second phase of Gravesend's town centre regeneration.

New images show what the land around St George’s Church and West Street could look like as proposals for a new council civic centre and square take shape.

It would be complemented by a new 500-seat theatre which would replace the existing Woodville auditorium as part of plans for an "18-hour day" centre.

Also included are an 88-bedroom hotel, 7,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space, a new St George’s Church Hall, 155 residential units and a 250-space extension to the St George’s Centre car park.

It represents the second phase of the town centre redevelopment, spearheaded by developers Reef, following on from The Charter, a development of 242 homes in blocks of flats on the current Horn Yard and Market Square car parks.

Work is due to start there later this year after the granting of planning permission last month.

And is also joined by several other notable touted building projects which would transform the town's skyline and pier.

Leader of Gravesham council, Cllr John Burden, welcomed the announcement of the second development phase surrounding the St George's Centre.

“This is the most exciting phase of the long-awaited regeneration of Gravesend," he said.

"New offices and business space will drive daytime visitors, while residents living in new homes will boost the evening and night time economy."

The Labour leader said the proposals, coupled with a number of residential developments around the town, would help "breathe new life into Gravesend".

He added the plans would help reconnect the town to its "historic links" with the Thames as a riverside community.

The proposed facelift to the back end of the shopping centre would look to put Gravesend back on the map as a retail destination, he claimed.

He went on to add these changes would see it provide an alternative to big name brands at Bluewater and other out of town outlets and would be open 18 hours a day.

Cllr Burden said: “In this post-Covid world, town centres across the UK face significant challenges over and above what were already facing them, while the way people work has changed almost overnight.

“Our town centre cannot stand still and hope to survive."

Developers Reef, who are also behind both phases of the development, are keen to stress these images are indicative and will go ahead to a full public consultation.

Reef plans to submit a detailed planning application for a new St George’s Church Hall and the "public realm" element of the proposals later this year.

This will be followed by the submission of a detailed application for the remainder of the scheme in 2021.

Phil Duckworth, design director at Reef Group, said: “We are excited to introduce these plans that we have been working on closely with Gravesham Borough Council.

“We have delivered our improvement works at St George’s Shopping Centre, and recently secured planning permission for The Charter.

“These plans introduce the final part of our wider, strategic town centre regeneration proposals and it is a great opportunity to deliver such a development in the town centre.

"We look forward to engaging and consulting with stakeholders to inform the proposals before we submit the planning application.”

It's been more than 15 years in the pipeline for the town centre regeneration which has been subject to delays and legal challenges.

But now the latest plans to spearhead the transformation appear to be coming to fruition which Cllr Burden says can't come soon enough.

"We have waited long enough, its about time to do it," he said.

If approved, the plans would also mean upheaval of the council's current base in Windmill Street, which he said would likely be replaced by a residential development.

Explaining the decision to include a new civic centre in the plans, Cllr Burden said it was driven by the council’s belief in and support for the regeneration of the town centre and support for the local economy.

He said: “The new Civic Centre would place us at the heart of the town centre. This council is the biggest single employer in the central area of the town.

“With 200-300 employees based in the town at any one time – the vast majority of whom walk out into the town and spend money in local shops, cafes and restaurants during the course of the day –we are a key supporter of the economy in the immediate vicinity of our offices.

“Moving our offices closer to the main shopping areas of St George’s, New Road, the High Street, and King Street will see our local traders benefit from the increased footfall that brings to those areas.”

"We have waited long enough, its about time to do it"

Another key consideration in the proposed move was to help the council meet its pledge to achieve carbon neutral status by 2030, he added.

Cllr Burden explained the current civic centre, constructed in the mid 1960s, was not fit for purpose and had fallen into a state of disrepair.

To retrofit the building would cost millions of pounds and would be counter productive, he added.

It also provides the opportunity to bring a new 500-seat theatre to the town to replace The Woodville, which is currently limited in the stage productions it can offer, he explained.

The 500-seat theatre/cinema would adjoin the new civic centre in the same way the existing theatre does.

In addition, the foyer to the building would be home to cafes and informal meeting spaces.

Cllr Burden added the desire was for the centre to be a true civic hub and the council was in positive conversations with public sector partners interested in moving in.

He said: “The new building would be designed to provide maximum flexible accommodation, allowing us to let varied amounts of space in a way that is not possible at the current Civic Centre.

“With an eye to new working practices post Covid-19, it will also provide an opportunity for business incubator space and ‘rent-a-desk’ accommodation for small businesses and home workers who might like a change of scenery every now and then.”

The move to the new building would be funded by the sale of the current centre, which sits next to Gravesend railway station.

Rental income from other occupiers and revenue from the new theatre and cafes would also contribute.

Cllr Burden said: “The regeneration of Gravesend town centre has been a long time coming and has been an ambition of councils of various political leadership.

“These proposals present a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a new town centre, one that people will enjoy and be proud to call home for generations to come.”

Read more: all the latest news from Gravesend