MEDWAY’S first outlet centre opened for business with a shopaholic surge for special offers that took bosses by surprise.

More than 600 shoppers were waiting outside the £65m Dockside Outlet Centre in Chatham Maritime when the doors were unlocked at 10am on Wednesday. When they closed at 6pm, more than 15,000 people had streamed through the centre.

It was a good start towards attracting a good proportion of the four million people who live within an hour’s drive time.

Bosses seemed taken aback by the huge early response to the modern discount complex created out of a Victorian wrought iron dockyard boiler shop, a Grade 2 listed building.

Just moments earlier, workmen were hurriedly putting the finishing touches to a centre that was just a developer’s dream 10 years ago. Some touches still had to be finished.

About a third of the units are still empty, and a handful of big names that have already signed up failed to show up for what was a highly successful centre debut. But more fascia boards are expected to go up in the next few days.

The centre, which promises “up to 50 per cent off top brands,” is due to have all 70 units full by September or October when a celebrity opening is promised.

A 430-seat food court offers four styles - Burger King, Mega Wok, O’Brien’s Sandwiches and Fat Jackets.

The centre with names such as Choice (selling Next brands), Proibito, Petroleum and Haggar, has created 300 jobs so far, with around 200 more to come over the coming months.

Outlet leaflet holders were soon empty and the crowds put considerable early strain on the 860-place car park. Within an hour, all spaces were full.

Latecomers were diverted to some of the 1,000 places available in nearby Chatham Historic Dockyard.

Centre director Colin Wilding, a former Bluewater boss, admitted he was concerned about parking.

But he hoped that more spaces could be made available from nearby organisations, especially at weekends. “We need to work very hard on that,” he said.

Medway council has insisted that Dockside charges for parking to ensure that business is not sucked out of Chatham and neighbouring high streets. However, Clarks shoe shop will soon be moving from Chatham High Street to the centre. Mr Wilding said parking would be free, at least until Friday July 4.

Many stores were soon doing good business, although a few managers complained about glitches with their hi-tech tills.

Overall, Mr Wilding was happy about how the first day went. “Very pleased,” he said. “We’ll deal with the problems as they arise.”

The scene of shopping frenzy was a far cry from the building’s origins in the 1860s as a dockyard boiler shop.

First built by Fox Henderson in Woolwich Dockyard in 1847, it was re-erected in Chatham 20 years later.

Spanners, oil and the clunk of machinery have given way to carrier bags, designer labels and the chatter of consumers deciding which product to buy.

Freddie Jacobs, London-based owner of the Bed And Bath Works chain, said he was delighted to open his first outlet in Medway.

One was already in the MacArthur Glen centre, Ashford, and he hoped the Medway branch would be as successful.

Mr Jacobs, who has seen his business soar to 30 outlets and a £20 million turnover in eight years, said: “I love the building and it’s right on the M2/A2. And with the upgrading of the railway line, this part of the world should benefit from all of that.”

Dockside’s first day of trading ended 10 years of planning by the three directors of Dockside Developers Steven Reeves, Mike Hewitt and Trevor Goff.

They overcame numerous obstacles to keep the project on track. Its long-term success will depend on how many of the four million people living within an hour’s drive will shop at the centre.

Mr Goff admitted he was nervous but said he had never thought about giving up in spite of the setbacks.

“Once you’ve put a certain amount of work in, then you are really in for the ride,” he said. “We’ve got about six months to get through as far as the bedding-down process is concerned,” he said. “Thereafter, we should see some positive cashflow.”

Guy Shepherd, project manager for main contractor Galliford Try, said: “It’s proved a huge construction challenge but it’s a fantastic scheme. This was one of the highlights of my career.”