A chemist has reopened in a new building almost two years after it was destroyed in a fire.

Pender Pharmacy, in Milton Road, Gravesend, has been closed since May 26, 2022, after a massive blaze broke out in a neighbouring business - the former New Inn pub.

The fire caused extensive damage to the listed building and other shops along the street, including the drugstore whose roof went up in flames.

Due to the destruction caused by the blaze, Pender Pharmacy was forced to close its doors and relocate to its sister site at Gravesend Medical Centre.

After almost two years, pharmacist Stephen Kane has reopened the store - but at a new site along Gravesend High Street.

He said: “It was devastating. It really was a lifetime’s worth of work, gone. We always intended to reopen but it became impossible to do so in Milton Road.

“We are a community pharmacy and being in the surgery was not the same.

“I feel we need to be based in the community to get our healthcare message out there directly from the street. It is great to be back doing that.

“We have had a lot of difficulty but it has all come together and we are really happy to be back. This will be a big community asset.”

Although patients were still able to pick up prescriptions at the Gravesend Medical Centre, Stephen said it was not suitable for the future of the pharmacy.

To meet NHS requirements to help free up doctor appointments, he wanted to be able to start up services such as blood pressure checks, contraception services and flu jabs.

However, this would not have been possible without another location that was more fit for purpose so he began searching for a new premises.

Stephen has had the new shop since August, however, faced set backs when trying to secure a contract from the NHS to relocate and then the refitting of the store.

Pender Pharmacy reopened at 49 High Street, in Gravesend, next to employment centre 725 Limited, last week.

Stephen added: “I think it is going to make a real impact. We would not have been able to do everything we wanted to in the surgery.

“It has been a big investment but we really wanted to be fit for purpose and I think what we have come up with is right.

“It is really a positive for the town centre. It will improve the health care provision and bring more footfall to the High Street.

“It is fantastic. It is really good to have premises back in the community.”

Stephen had worked at Pender Pharmacy since 1988 when he was a manager before he bought the firm in 1990.

He said it was “devastating” to see the fire ravage the building in Milton Road and he has decided to sell it to allow the business to move on.

Firefighters were at the scene in Milton Road, at the junction of Queen Street, for around 24 hours after flames broke out at around 1pm on May 26, 2022.

At its peak, nine fire engines were in attendance along with a height vehicle.

By 4pm, that number had been reduced to seven engines and the height vehicle, with crews continuing to fight the flames and cut away any hot spots.

By 8.30pm, it had been scaled back to six crews who were turning over and damping down as an investigation was launched into the cause.

Firefighters remained on the scene holding a watching brief overnight to make sure the fire did not reignite, and to keep the scene safe.

By the next morning, crews were still monitoring the remains and operations did not fully stop until just before 12.30pm on May 27, 2022.

It is believed the fire was started by an electrical fault.

Two years on the site is still boarded up and the potential plans for the Grade-II listed building are unknown.

However, Gravesham council cabinet member for strategic environment, Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, said the local authority has been in contact with the owners of the building.

He added: “As a council we are keen to see progress made on this prominent town centre site. The destruction of the former New Inn caused upset to many and we want the building to be restored in accordance with its listed status as soon as possible.

“As a listed building, there are strict national rules in place that both the owner and we have to abide by.

“The delay in progress on the site has been caused in part by a request by the owner to Historic England to delist the building which was not accepted.

“As part of our enforcement role we have maintained a dialogue with the owner of the site and have made it very clear that we expect its current state to be addressed and for the building to be reinstated in accordance with listed building regulations.

“The agent working on behalf of the owner has advised that they intend to submit a pre-application proposal to us within the next few weeks, and we will continue to insist for this in line with our enforcement powers.

“Gravesham’s heritage is not a matter of negotiation, and we will continue to seek to enforce the law on this site with the intention the building is restored in full and using the original materials where possible and at the cost of the owner and not the taxpayer.”