Hairdressers dominating the high street landscape

Ashford now boasts dozens of hairdressers and barber shops, making it the most common type of retail business in the town centre area.

There are now 27 businesses offering consumers on the high street anything from a quick trim to a complete new look.

It follows a survey by the Kentish Express into the type of businesses which now operate in the main shopping areas of the High Street, Bank Street, New Rents, Park Mall, County Square and North Street.

Resident Barbara Foxon contacted the Kentish Express about the changing nature of the town centre and called for a survey to be carried out.

She said: “I read about the new charity store which will open in the old Blockbuster.

“While it will be good to see the store used, I was very disappointed that it will be another charity shop.

“I have contacted Cllr Graham Galpin about my continued concerns for the town centre.

“I wonder how many hairdressers, charity shops and cheap stores and cafes there are in the town compared with our one shoe shop and few quality clothes shops.”

Our survey reveals some of the changes which have taken place over the last few months, after big brand stores Burton menswear and BHS closed down, and popular crafts shop Cross’s also shut.

The Burton store is available to rent for £60,000 per year while the Cross’s shop is available to rent for £32,000 per year or £2,667 per month.

Now County Square Shopping Centre bosses say they that they are doing everything they can to find a new tenant for the former BHS store, but say the dust has yet to settle after the closure.

In total there are still 30 empty shops and units available in the town centre, but Ashford Borough Council says that the town centre is bucking the nationwide trend of high street retail decline.

The former Blockbuster store is set to become a DEBRA charity store selling furniture and electrical goods, while the former Pizza Hut across the street will be a motoring themed cafe.

The Po Thai restaurant is set to open in the former Downtown Diner and a Texan barbecue restaurant is opening in Bank Street.

This week the Just Desserts restaurant opened in Bank Street, and the Shisha Cloud is having its grand opening today (Thursday).

There are still 71 big national or international companies still trading in the town centre, alongside 61 independent or locally run shops, 10 charity shops, five nail and beauty shops, and four tattoo parlours.

Meanwhile there are 15 cafes in town, along with 14 restaurants. There are also 12 fast food outlets, 10 estate agents, nine pubs, and nine banks in the town centre.

What type of shops is Ashford lacking? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk

Cross’s art shop in bank Street and BHS in County Square have both closed this year