Frustrated business owners and residents say nothing seems to be happening to restore a listed building more than six months after a devastating blaze.

The former New Inn pub, and more recently The CBD Specialist, in Gravesend was partially destroyed in May due to a fire.

Since then, it has remained seemingly in the same state but fencing has been put up around the site to ensure it is secure and the footpath that runs around it has been closed.

Despite this, residents and business owners are concerned things are not moving forward in order to restore the historic site.

Singing teacher at Gifted Young Gravesham, Leanne Jones said: "My place of work is along there and I walk past it and so do my students every time they come to a session.

"I still cannot believe it is like that. I do understand it is a historic building but it is a busy junction and there is no safe place to cross there any more."

Leanne said if walking up the road from the town centre is not clear that part of the road is closed until you are there meaning many people end up walking into the road to get around.

She added: "It looks like a bomb has been dropped. We are a heritage town and it deserves to look nice and be safe.

"All that debris is lying on the pavement, why can it not be swept up and that part be opened up?"

Pharmacist Stephen Kane owns the unit next door – Pender Pharmacy – which also suffered severe damage and has been operating out of Gravesend Medical Centre ever since.

He said he has only just been able to put up internal scaffolding to secure the site and is now able to have a surveyor in.

Mr Kane said: "It has been a problem for us. It destroyed my family business that I have been building for years. The ultimate aim is to get the building open and the pharmacy running again.

"It is still our hope to open a pharmacy in the town centre. It has been a frustrating six months."

He is hoping to have the shop open as soon as possible but worries the Grade-II parting wall which he does not own may cause him issues if the landlord does not act soon.

A spokesman for Gravesham Borough Council confirmed as the site is privately owned it is up to the landlord to produce a plan to clear the site while also following guidelines for listed buildings.

They added: "So far the owner has not come forward with a plan for either clearance nor restoration.

"We do have powers to take enforcement action if the owner does not co-operate, but there are clearly defined procedures we have to go through before we get to that point."

At its peak, nine fire engines were in attendance along with a height vehicle on May 26. Operations continued the next day as crews monitored hotspots to make sure it did not reignite.

The fire was believed to have started due to an electrical fault.

The Grade-II listed building – at the junction of Milton Road and Queen Street – was severely damaged by flames and partially collapsed into the street earlier this year.

KentOnline has not been able to trace the owners of the building for a comment.