Plans have been submitted for the restoration of the seven house terrace in Minor Canon Row, described as “one of the historic jewels of Rochester”.

The application has been forwarded by the Spitalfields Trust, a charity which specialises in the restoration and preservation of important buildings.

The Trust will convert the early Georgian residencies back to individual terrace houses, as they would have been when they were first built to accommodate minor canons of Rochester Cathedral.

Over the years, most of the houses have been converted to flats whose rooms sprawl into neighbouring properties.

At present the sale of the properties is not complete. Lawyers are putting final touches to the contracts before they can be exchanged, officially completing the deal.

But the Dean of Rochester, Very Rev Adrian Newman, welcomes the Spitalfield’s Trust interest.

“Minor Canon Row is an irreplaceable part of Rochester’s history,” he said. “It remains one of the places that people come to see when they visit, and for many years it has been in desperate need of attention.

“The Spitalfields Trust has a national reputation second to none for restoration and conservation work of this kind. It’s a coup for Rochester that they have decided to get involved in this project.