Kentish Express Ashford & District
THE END OF AN ERA AS UNIFORM SHOP TO SHUT
WINE BAR PLANNED FOR PRIME TOWN CENTRE SPOT
A long-running school uniform shop which has been in the town centre since the 1990s is set to be turned into a wine bar.
CMDL Dance and Schoolwear opened in the Lower High Street in 1997, providing parents with uniforms for scores of schools in the district.
But the shop - which previously housed a Britannia Building Society branch could now become a drinking establishment after plans were submitted to Ashford Borough Council (ABC).
Alexandra Lewis-Wortley, who lives in the churchyard, lodged her plans with the authority last month.
“The lady who owns the building is looking to retire so she put it on the market,” she said.
“I think she was hoping to keep it as a clothing shop but that’s not really my field of interest.
“I’ve lived in London for a number of years and one of the things I’ve noticed is that I don’t have anywhere to go with my friends like a wine bar.
“I saw the beautiful windows and I thought it would make a perfect place for a wine bar.”
Miss Lewis-Wortley’s purchase of the site is dependent on getting planning permission, which would include the installation of a disability-friendly toilet on the ground floor if approved.
She is director of the Ashford branch of Expertise Homecare and hopes to turn the building’s top floor into office space for her company.
The bar - to be called Wortley’s Wine Bar - will go on the ground floor, with a wine cellar below.
Miss Lewis-Wortley, 30, added: “I’m not moving into this building to try and destroy it, I want to enhance its features and provide a nice place for Ashfordians to relax and enjoy a drink.
“There are all these buildings going up in Ashford and I’m sure the council is trying to entice commuters down to the town.
“I’m just looking to bring some vibrance into Ashford high street.
“Being an outsider and moving in only last year, I feel it’s got a lot of potential.
“I know high streets are dying but that doesn’t mean we can’t replace the shops going with boutique restaurants, wine bars and boutique shops.
“That would keep people in the area and on the high street.”
Built in 1835, the Lower High Street site is Grade II-listed.
Miss Lewis-Wortley added: “There will be cold meats, cheese and other nibbles that you would want with a nice glass of wine.
“At the end of the day it’s a listed building so there is not too much I can do.
“I can’t install a kitchen, and I would actively try to bring out the old features of the building.
“There was a flood in 2000 that sadly damaged quite a lot of the building.
“Upstairs you could use right away, but downstairs there is some work we’d need to do.
“If permission is granted, hopefully it won’t take too long to move in.
“The council said I’d get a decision by April 25 and if that happens, we should be able to open by August or September.”
Miss Lewis-Wortley says the Invicta 1835 coat of arms on the top of the building will be retained.
It is not yet known when CMDL Dance and Schoolwear will close.
The shop offers uniforms from scores of schools in the district, including Willesborough Juniors, Norton Knatchbull and North School.
It also sells Cubs, Beavers, Brownies and Rainbows uniforms.
To view the planning application, visit www.ashford.gov. uk and search for 19/00263/AS.
The deadline for public comments is Thursday, March 28.
What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, Unit 4, Park Mall shopping centre, Ashford, TN24 8RY or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup. co.uk