Kentish Express Ashford & District
Georgian-style bistro approved
A Georgian-style bistro has been approved for Ashford despite concerns over the number of restaurants in the town centre.
It will fill part of the former Merchant Chandler unit in North Street, a Grade II-listed building which the developer says is ‘rotting away’ and in need of repairs to restore it to its former glory.
Called Itaca’s, the bistro will create five new jobs and see the ceilings restored and marble and wooden floors introduced.
The shopfront currently has two Georgian pillars which bosses hope to keep and restore while creating two new replicas.
Four of the internal walls will be removed to open up the space, while a new wall would be created to make room for new toilets.
The unit, which more recently became The Collection Ashford, will be split in two to make way for the new bistro which will double up as a cafe and a wine bar.
The other half has been earmarked for a multi-cuisine restaurant but a separate application for this is yet to be approved.
Fusion multi-cuisine restaurant and takeaway hopes to have 22 seats and serve a variety of foods from fish and chips, Italian pizzas and Indian masala.
But having seen the plans for both ventures, Alun Yeung, from the Paper Duck Buffet a few doors down, feels retail space should be prioritised over eateries.
“Already there is not enough parking space for customers in the high street,” he said.
“If the restaurant does delivery service, there will be more problems with the continued flow of traffic and parking issues in the high street which has a big impact on the noise level for our flats above and neighbouring properties too.
“Ashford high street has already lost many retail shop spaces and they have been converted into hairdressers, beauty salons and restaurants. That is all you can see in the high street at the moment.”
Despite the concerns, Ashford Borough Council approved the scheme on Monday.