A consultation looking to increase protection from over-development in an historic village has been launched.

The draft plan for Upper Upnor on the River Medway has been issued by the council updating the last plan published in 2004.

Extensive research shows the level of historic value, character and architecture in the 500-year-old village built around the Elizabethan castle on the riverside.

The castle infamously attempted to defend Chatham Dockyard during the Dutch navy's Raid on the Medway in 1667, which saw the English fleet decimated with the loss of 13 ships, two captured and 30 more scuttled by the English commanders.

As a result, Upnor Castle is regarded as unique in being the only English coastal fortification to have fired a shot in anger at an enemy.

The village developed further during the 17th and 18th centuries as Chatham Dockyard grew to cope with the demands of the navy.

The castle was reconstructed as an Ordnance Depot and buildings around it were developed in the 17th century creating a small community in its own right for workers at the site.

In other major naval dockyards at the time, such as Portsmouth and Plymouth these communities have been absorbed into the wider cities they became.

The main development of the village came in the late 1600s but references to the existence of a settlement at Upnor dates back to the early 1200s while there is a 13th century reference to Atte Nore and Uppe Nore.

Planning officers at Medway Council have identified seven historic character areas in the village and has been described as "an excellent example of a settlement that gradually developed to support

a significant local employer, most notably Chatham Dockyard and Upnor Castle".

The document states: "The Conservation Area contains a large number of heritage assets, both designated and non-designated, all of which contribute to its character and significance.

"The extent of a building’s contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area is not limited to its physical form, but also through providing meaning for communities derived from their collective experience of a place.

"Some elements of a Conservation Area may be out of character due to, for example, their scale, use of materials or the way they relate to neighbouring buildings and are therefore considered detractors."

The village comprises 16 designated heritage assets and several other non-designated assets which could be added to "should impacting development proposals come forward", consultation documents say.

Despite the conservation area being in place for some 18 years, the council has identified issues relating to "ongoing maintenance" and "original features and details being replaced with inferior and often inappropriate alternatives".

The updated plan would see these matters addressed including: Cast iron guttering being replaced with plastic; Timber-framed windows being replaced by uPVC and aluminium alternatives; Slate or clay roof tiles replaced with concrete; Poor condition footpaths and roads, often repaired or replaced with unsympathetic alternatives; Unsympathetic street furniture; Rendering or painting of original brick or stone surfaces.

The council says the draft proposals will give the authority time to refresh the plan while taking into account changes since the first adoption in 2004 such as the redevelopment of the Lower Upnor Ordnance Depot as a mixed-use site maximising the heritage of the former naval structures.

The consultation into the plans is open until March 22.

Dave Harris, Medway Council’s head of planning, said: “We’ve updated the conservation area appraisal for Upper Upnor which was adopted in 2004 and we’re inviting residents to give their feedback.

"The updated document will help us define the qualities that make the conservation area special including its history and architecture.

"The updated conservation area appraisal will help protect and enhance these special characteristics including managing potential future development in the area."

To view the plans visit medway.gov.uk/upnorfeedback or view hard copies at Hoo Library, Medway Archives Centre and the Strood Community Hub.