Why were these buildings flattened so soon?

It’s astounding the number of changes to the streetscape of Ashford you notice when trawling through old images of the town. There have been so many changes over the past 50 years that it’s almost impossible to keep up with them.

The lower end of the town – the Elwick Road/Godinton Road area – has long been the subject of numerous proposals and redevelopment plans, some of which have only just come to fruition. With this in mind it’s shocking that the first of these plans to redevelop the aforementioned area were first up for consultation in their preliminary format as far back as 1963.

Apart from the former market site – where work has started in recent weeks – the site of the former Stanhay Automotive and Agricultural Works (where the County Square extension opened in 2008) was subject of many proposals over the years with anything from office blocks to shopping developments such as one called Market Plaza put forward.

But it wasn’t until 2004/5 that planners agreed the recent development which contains the extension to the shopping centre which contains Debenhams. Until such time that work began on the development, Ashford Borough Council used the space for pay and display parking.

But the question we all ask is was there any need to flatten the Stanhay premises and the one-time Wig and Gavel (Market Hotel) so prematurely.

Stanhay’s Elwick Works had been demolished in 1973 and the former pub next door and neighbouring shops such as Timbercraft in neighbouring Godinton Road in 1993.

This week, Remember When looks back through a trio of images at the demise of Stanhay’s premises at the top of Elwick Road in 1973. Many thanks to Edwin Bartlett of Ashford for this week’s splendid pictures.

Do you have any photographs or slides that you would be willing to loan to me, to enable them to be scanned and featured in the Kentish Express? Write to Steve Salter, Kentish ExpressRemember When, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, Kent. TN24 8RY. E-mail me at rememberwhen_ kmash@hotmail.co.uk Follow me on Twitter @ SteveKMAshford. Or you can also leave a message for me with brief details by calling 01233 623232.