Intrigued residents got the chance to see how a historic district of Gravesend is set to change forever at a public exhibitions this week.

Landowner Downriver Properties and architecture practice Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates are looking to redevelop Clifton Slipways, which was once home to Gravesend West Street station and a pier used to ferry pleasure trippers down the river.

The pier has fallen into disrepair and hasn’t been in use for decades, but ambitious plans are in place to bring it back to life alongside a suite of modern residential apartments and a new community hot spot.

Exhibitions at Towncentric in St George’s Square and at St George’s Church Hall in Church Street gave lead architect Paul Simovic the chance to show off his designs to the public for the first time.

“One of the central themes of this project was to bring the pier back into public use so that it becomes a proper amenity for Gravesend,” he explained.

“When that railway station was shut the pier was going to be used for storage and it gradually fell into disrepair.”

“An awful lot of money is going to have to be poured into the pier.”

Bringing the pier back into use is a popular idea among locals and has provided Mr Simovic and his team with a lot of goodwill, but he’s also keen to ensure that Clifton Slipways becomes an attractive proposition for those looking for somewhere to live.

"There is an aspiration to have a little destination at the end of the pier...” - Paul Simovic, architect

“There will be 130 flats and some maisonettes at the ground level on the south side, with stairs and lifts to bring wheelchair users up to the main level,” he said.

“We are also planning on building a pavilion, which could be a cafe or an exhibition centre. There is an aspiration to have a little destination at the end of the pier.”

“This area is increasingly well connected to London. I came in this morning from St Pancras in just less than 25 minutes, which is astounding.”

“It hasn’t lived up to its potential; it could be a very attractive place to be.”

Despite the positivity shown towards the development, attendees at the first exhibition at Towncentric on Friday expressed some concern about the design of the site’s main 11-storey building.

One local compared its design to “shipping containers stacked on top of each other”, with others worried that its imposing height is ill-suited to a town like Gravesend.

Residents have also questioned whether the town had sufficent parking to accommodate an influx of people, especially with plans for a new ‘transport quarter’ robbing nearby Rathmore Road of its 225-space car park.

“People have been very welcoming to the idea of the pier being brought back into use..." - Michael Osman, planning consultant

Planning consultant Michael Osman was still pleased with the overall reaction.

Having been involved with the project since 2007, and seen it hit a major stumbling block in 2009 due to the recession, he is keen to hear people’s views.

“People have been very welcoming to the idea of the pier being brought back into use. The response has been positive so far,” he said.

“I have been involved since the site was first bought and it is very interesting from an architectural point of view. I think it is going to be incredible.”

While some still need convincing, nobody can dispute the developer’s ambition.

The project could completely transform the area, with housing on both sides of West Street to go with the pier, and Mr Osman said he hoped public feedback could help make the plans more appealing.

“We have had a number of meetings with the council and are talking to the officers at the moment,” he said.

“This consultation is a chance to see what the public think about it all, and then sit down and decide what the final design should be. Then we will sit down and make the planning application.”

Should planning permission be approved, Mr Simovic expects construction to begin within 12 and 18 months, with a further 18 months before building is complete.