A national housebuilder has pulled out of a major regeneration project beside Chatham Historic Dockyard, six years after it was first announced.

In 2020, plans were revealed to build 274 homes on the final undeveloped area of the ex-naval base, known as the Interface Land.

Landowner Homes England picked Countryside, the developer behind St Mary’s Island and Rochester Riverside, to deliver the scheme – but the contract has now been axed, Future Medway has learnt.

The 2.7-hectare site, split across two sectors named Brunel and Riverside, was also set to deliver 11,000 sq ft of commercial space, including shops and offices.

When the development was first announced it was scheduled for completion in 2026, but a planning application never materialised.

Countryside was preparing a planning application at their own expense, but “were unable to bring forward a development as originally envisaged”, according to a freedom of information (FOI) request.

This led to Countryside terminating its lease agreement with Homes England, originally signed on 31 March 2020.

A Homes England spokesperson has confirmed they are now “reviewing all options” for the site, with an alternative disposal strategy set to be finalised this summer.

The Interface Land is widely seen as the final piece of the jigsaw for Chatham Maritime’s regeneration, being located within the original dockyard that closed in 1984 after 400 years in operation.

Other parts of the former dockyard now include the Dockside Outlet Centre, a marina, and the campuses of the University of Kent, Greenwich University and Canterbury Christ Church University.

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