It was supposed to be a game-changing mega scheme to bring big tech and media firms to the county.

But eight years and £33 million after it was first launched, plans for Innovation Park Medway (IPM) have been scaled back.

Now, instead of the likes of Netflix and Google, bosses are looking at using part of the site for a residential care home.

The project, which had an initial budget of £60 million, promised 60,000 sq m of commercial space and up to 3,000 high-value jobs.

However, a lack of interest from businesses led Medway’s new Labour administration to press the pause button in February last year.

It is now suggesting wholesale change to both parts of the park, which neighbours Rochester Airport.

The southern site is recommended to house a 70-bed care home and 16 retirement units rather than office and commercial spaces.

While the northern section will move from primarily office space to a mix of industrial units and “mid-tech”.

These will be a combination of office and industrial space.

The news has come as a blow to former council leader Alan Jarrett (Con) who championed the project for several years.

He says he feels the local authority has mismanaged a scheme which could have brought in huge investment to the Towns.

In response, Labour say they inherited an unworkable project which was never likely to bring in what was promised.

News of the scaling back is the latest in a line of headline-grabbing initiatives which have failed in Medway.

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And bids to become the UK City of Culture and to house a Channel 4 regional media centre came to nothing too.

As previously reported, members agreed last month to construct and operate a residential care home on council-owned land.

It is not known at this stage, however, whether this and the proposed southern site home are one and the same thing.

Because a care home was outside of the scope of the original IPM project, officers say more market testing is needed to evaluate its viability.

A detailed report into the future of the entire site will now be considered by the authority’s cabinet on Tuesday next week (March 11).

It makes clear the market for office space has reduced since the pandemic as more people have the technology and support to work from home.

Portfolio holder for economic and social regeneration and inward investment, Cllr Harinder Mahil (Lab), says they have worked to find the best possible option for IPM.

“At the point of taking over Medway Council [in May 2023], we discovered there were no serious proposals from businesses to move onto the site,” he said.

“We have taken all reasonable steps to understand what has the best chances of delivering solutions at IPM which will work for the people of Medway.

“The next steps, as laid out in the cabinet papers, show our preferred route is for a care home for the southern site to help meet the ever-rising demand.

“And a slightly less restrictive home for businesses than originally proposed for the northern site.”

More than £11 million of the original £60 million budget came from grants and loans while the rest was from council coffers.

It is understood the £33 million spent has gone on building some infrastructure and marketing the project.

Two businesses were previously touted as potential tenants but the new administration felt the potential deals weren’t as solid as had been claimed.

The un-named firms were reportedly asking Medway to pay extensive sums for bespoke buildings in return for signing up.

Mr Jarrett, who was also portfolio holder for IPM, says the project has been “ruined” by Labour since it took over.

He said: “I think they have mismanaged the project from the start and their claims there was no interest from businesses was simply wrong.

“There were a couple who would have been moved in by now if Labour had not made the scheme fall apart.

“While the project wouldn’t ever have been at full capacity at this point, if there had been tenants in now it would be generating income instead of being empty.

“I am disappointed for the fact that in almost two years Labour ruined a groundbreaking project which could have created jobs and been a showpiece for Medway.”

He added the rent agreed for the two companies close to signing up would have reflected the additional costs required to help build their facilities.

The veteran Tory also took aim at the care home proposals, saying he didn’t agree with plans to create a council-run home anywhere.

He continued: “I would like to see the figures because the reason we got rid of care homes the council used to own was because they weren’t financially viable.”