A planning application has been submitted for a £400 million redevelopment of Rochester Riverside.

The proposals for up to 1,400 homes and nearly 13,000sq ft of commercial space have been put forward by housebuilder Countryside and housing association Hyde.

It includes a primary school and a nursary, as well as a pedestrian footbridge, parking and about 10 acres of open space.

This comes under an outline planning application, which will approve the entire scheme in principle.

A new image released to mark the application, shows how the development will look next to the River Medway.

The developers are also seeking full planning permission for the first three phases of the plans.

This includes 489 homes and a hotel, plus 9,500 sq ft of floorspace for businesses, site access, parking and open space.

“This is a great opportunity to help tackle the housing shortage in the south east and ultimately will provide more people with a roof over their head so they can make a home...” - David Gannicott, Hyde

The brownfield site, stretching from Rochester Bridge to Doust Way, is the flagship regeneration project of Medway Council.

It is expected the full project will take 12 years to complete, with a quarter of the 1,400 homes built to be affordable housing.

Medway Council, which owns the site with the Homes and Communities Agency, awarded Countryside the contract to build the development in March last year.

Andy Fancy, an operations director at Countryside’s southern division, said the “hugely exciting scheme” is a “crucial component in Medway’s regeneration plan”.

David Gannicott, business development director at Hyde, added: “This is a great opportunity to help tackle the housing shortage in the south east and ultimately will provide more people with a roof over their head so they can make a home.”

Medway Council’s strategic regeneration chief Cllr Rodney Chambers said: “The proposed development is set to boost the local economy providing new jobs, shops and facilities and helping us to meet the needs of Medway’s growing population.”

The developers said a local historian had been instrumental in shaping the final application after feedback from public consultations.

The community had “highlighted the importance of high-quality materials, the desire for green spaces and community amenities”.

Neil Miller, senior development manager at the Homes and Communities Agency, said: “Countryside and Hyde have put together an impressive proposal for the site that takes into account the opinions of local stakeholders.

“We are looking forward to working with them to transform this derelict area of Rochester and are committed to ensuring the development meets our aims of providing high quality homes, including genuinely affordable housing.”