Part of a major residential and retail development is to be transformed into student accommodation.

Rochester Independent College is to take over a section of the town's Bardell Wharf in a multi-million pound regeneration scheme.

The remaining four sections of the site between the High Street and Corporation Street have been sold to a developer for mixed retail and housing.

The news comes after Quinn Estates pulled out.

The current site comprises a mixture of car dealerships, industrial buildings, a hire centre and shops.

The mixed-use project is a key part of the jigsaw for the ongoing regeneration of the area.

The college at the top of Star Hill wants to demolish some of the existing buildings and build a four to five-storey block housing 103 bedrooms.

The 2.5 acre site was granted planning permission in December 2019 for more than 300 homes, shops, offices and food outlets.

London-based Kingsbury Consultants, which handled the sale, invited offers in excess of £8 million for the entire freehold,

A spokesman said: "We have had a lot of interest. It is a popular site."

Ward councillor Stuart Tranter, who is also on the planning committee, said: "I want to see this very important and high-profile site developed sensitively and to a high standard, making sensible use of its brilliant location and access to public transport.

"It will also be essential to redesign the unpopular and unsafe Star Hill/High Street road junction improving pedestrian connections with the historic city centre.

"We need to see this area thrive with new communities and activities supporting economic growth; we don’t want to see meaningless hoardings.”

Quinn Estates worked closely with Medway Council, Historic England and Design South East to develop revised proposals in response to a desire to reduce the overall scale of the development.

As a result, a planned warehouse-style tower no longer forms part of the scheme.

The residential component has been adapted so the building scale increases towards the railway line but is reduced towards the High Street and neighbouring listed buildings.

Rochester Independent College accepts pupils from the age of 11 and boarders from 15.

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