Kentish Express Ashford & District
Jobcentre to fill ex-River Island store
A temporary jobcentre is to fill Ashford’s former River Island branch.
The unit in County Square shopping centre has been empty since the clothing giant vacated it in the summer.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed it will now be filled by a JobCentre Plus “by early summer this year”.
The DWP is setting up dozens of temporary centres in response to the unemployment boom due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minister for Employment, Mims Davies, said: “With more new, temporary jobcentres in place in the heart of our communities, we can support even more people impacted by the pandemic to find work and progress into new roles.
“We’ve already boosted our DWP Work Coaches by 10,000 – and with these new local jobcentres to operate from, we can drive forward our Plan for Jobs, creating fresh opportunity for people all across the country.”
Only two temporary centres are being established in Kent, with another taking over the ex-Poundstretcher shop in Sandgate Road in Folkestone.
The move into Ashford comes as the town gradually comes out of lockdown and recovers from the financial damage caused by the pandemic.
Internal work on the County Square unit is ongoing but an exact date on when it will be completed, or when it will leave the town, is not known.
The closure of Ashford’s River Island unit forced fans of the clothing giant to head to Canterbury or Maidstone instead.
The shop shut last August.