The last business along a parade of shops has closed – as plans to replace it with a 92-bed hotel remain mired in uncertainty.
Home Needs Furniture was one of six units earmarked for demolition to make way for the development in Ashford town centre.
Owner Sam David took on the ex-Argos building in New Rents in November last year, but closed the site in recent weeks amid low footfall.
It means the entire parade – from the junction of Castle Street to Drum Lane – now sits empty.
But plans for the hotel remain uncertain after Ashford Borough Council (ABC) rejected an application to demolish the units in February.
The authority had approved plans for the development in July 2022, but water quality issues delayed the scheme.
ABC then rejected the demolition proposal due to concerns it would create a “terrible eyesore”.
It is now unclear what applicant SPPF Ltd is planning next as an appeal against the decision has not been made.
Mr David, 42, from London, opened Home Needs Furniture in November last year.
But he says sales “weren’t even covering the rent as there was no footfall”.
“It wasn’t good business there at all because it was just really slow,” he said.
“But it was my first time running a business in Ashford.
“With this shop I’ve tried it now and that’s the end of the story, but I will see about opening another shop elsewhere in Ashford.”
Home Needs Furniture’s departure comes just three months after the parade of shops lost its penultimate store, PDSA.
The charity, which fundraises for free veterinary services, opened its Ashford store 21 years ago but ceased trading in September.
The other shops in the row, which was built in 1978, were last occupied by Game, British Heart Foundation, KPC Events and Betfred.
In February, councillors on ABC’s planning committee expressed concern that the existing shops could be knocked down – only for nothing to be built in their place.
Cllr Charles Suddards (Lab) noted demolition would “leave a complete blight in that part of the high street”.
“I cannot see any reason on earth why anybody would want to support the demolition and creation of an eyesore and a huge gap in a primary shopping area,” he said.
If built, the ground floor of the new hotel would comprise the reception area as well as an additional bar and restaurant.
The first and second floors are planned exclusively for hotel use, while the third floor would be a mix of hotel and residential on the 0.44-acre site.
Meanwhile, the fourth floor would be solely for 10 flats.
Last year, ABC told SPPF Ltd it could not proceed with the development until pollution issues with the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve were addressed.
The protected beauty spot near Canterbury has been affected by wastewater run-off from developments across east Kent causing high levels of harmful nitrate and phosphate nutrients.
Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.
As a result, rules set down by Natural England insist developers must ensure all schemes in the River Stour catchment area are “nutrient neutral” – either by having an on-site water treatment facility or offsetting the impact by providing mitigation measures elsewhere, such as wetlands.
But ABC said last April that those behind the New Rents development had yet to resolve the issue.
SPPF Ltd has been approached for comment.
