Plans for the conversion of a Grade II listed building into homes are still in place despite the architects working on the project being dropped.

The owners of Sheppey Court in Halfway have parted ways with Bobbing-based Kent Design Partnership, which was putting together a planning application.

It had hoped to submit proposals to Swale council to restore the historic house at the centre of the site into five homes and build about 26 new apartments surrounding it, but this did not go ahead.

Landowner Bentley Developments said it is still committed to bringing the 19th century site back into use.

The company, based in Horsham, West Sussex, has this week appointed a new architects practice from Hampshire to help it put together plans for the Halfway Road site.

Julian Rooney, speaking on behalf of Bentley Developments, said: “We are undertaking all of the baseline technical work, which we hope will be completed early in the summer, and once we have done that we can come forward with a planning application.

“Obviously in the meantime we will keep protecting the building.”

He said they are working with Swale council’s planning department on the project.

Mr Rooney said the design, layout and number of homes are yet to be decided.

Sheppey Court dates back to the 1820s and was the home of Sir Edward Banks, who was involved heavily in the building of the naval works at Sheerness dockyard. The property became a care home for a period in the 1960s.

It was later vacated and fell into disrepair.

In 2007, Swale Housing Association was given planning permission to convert the site for residential use – permission which has since run out.