A PUBLIC exhibition is to be held on proposals for a new development featuring 3,500 new houses and 4,600 sq m of restaurants and bars.

Residents are invited to the Convoys Wharf site in New Kings Street, Deptford, from 10am to 4pm on December 5, with a further meeting taking place on December 8 from 2pm to 8pm.

People will get the chance to quiz developers Hutchison Whampoa on their £700m plans for the wharf site which include around 26,300 sq m of office space, 23,500 sq m for leisure activities and 6,300 sq m for new shops.

The new development is expected to create 1,000 new construction jobs and a further 2,000 new jobs when the site is up and running.

Managing director of the property group, Raymond Chow, said: “This is a hugely exciting project for Lewisham and the wider Thames Gateway area.

"We are looking forward to working with Lewisham Council, the Greater London Authority, and the local community to understand their aspirations for Convoys Wharf and how we can create a fantastic new future for this historic London location.

”I would encourage everyone in the local community to come along and view the proposals and talk to members of the development team.”

Lewisham Council granted outline planning permission to the site's previous owners, newspaper publisher News International, for similar proposals in 2005.

Hutchison Whampoa has since bought the site and is considering some changes to the application which it plans to submit to the council in the coming months.

Convoys Wharf was the first ever Royal Dockyard, established by Henry VIII in 1513 to build ships for the Royal Navy.

In 1923 a director of the News of the World newspaper bought the site and began to import paper.

Eventually the site and the newspaper came into the ownership of News International.