Ashford Borough Council (ABC) has announced plans to demolish Park Mall Shopping Centre and the adjacent Edinburgh Road multi-storey car park as part of a wider town centre redevelopment.
Traders have been given until August 31, 2025, to vacate the premises, with the exception of Greggs, O2, and Kamsons Pharmacy, “whose units face onto Upper High Street and have longer-term leases.”
ABC stated that it “will work closely with existing Park Mall tenants and, where appropriate, seek to support them in relocating into vacant units elsewhere in the town centre.”
Once demolition is complete, Park Mall and the adjacent multi-storey will be converted into an “interim surface-level car park while exploring ideas for what the area could be transformed to in the future.”
However, traders in Park Mall — a mix of independent and chain stores — have raised concerns over the “brutal” six-month notice.
Russell Geen, owner of The Little Teapot, told KentOnline: “The council is letting everyone have six months, but we weren’t expecting it.”
“They’ve been talking about this since 2017 or 2018, and it never materialised — until now.”
Joe Bartlett, director at Baby Art Studios, added: “It was clear at the meeting that there are no real plans for relocating traders — we’ll just be pushed into private landlords who will hike up the prices.”
“But we’re already in the town centre. The council is just ripping apart what’s here and replacing it with a car park.”
Park Mall has struggled in recent years, with the loss of Wilko in 2023 being its most high-profile departure.
The shopping centre was acquired by ABC in 2015, with the goal of reviving the town centre.
However, ABC has stated that Park Mall has been in a “state of spiralling decline for several years” and is “operating at a significant loss.”
Cllr Simon Betty, portfolio holder for Commercial Property & Investment, said: “We have always held long-term ideas to transform the centre away from retail. Despite our best efforts, the centre has struggled, especially in recent years.”
“Now seems the right time to redevelop Park Mall so it continues to play an important role in the town centre’s future.”
“Where we can, we will support the current tenants to find suitable premises elsewhere, and by building a short-term surface car park, we will provide a nicer, safer environment to park.”
While no final redevelopment plans have been confirmed, ABC has stated that it is still exploring options for the site’s long-term future.
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