Restaurant gets the go-ahead

A former hairdressing salon is to be converted into a restaurant, after plans were approved by Ashford Borough Council.

Poppins Restaurant will fill the vacant retail unit previously occupied by Toni &Guy hairdressers opposite M&S in Ashford High Street.

Poppins restaurants started in 1979 and has 36 town centre locations in the UK, many in the South East.

The restaurants provide a waiting service with an all-day menu including breakfasts, grills, fish, steaks, omelettes, burgers as well as sweets such as knickerbocker glories.

Each restaurant is privately owned and operated on a franchise basis.

Opening hours look set to be from 8am until 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am until 4pm on Sundays. There will not be a drinks licence at the venue.

In the application letter, site agent John Robinson stated: “The restaurants attract up to 500 customers per day.

“Such is the popularity of Pop- pins Restaurants, it will raise the profile of the frontage and encourage other retailers to occupy other empty units in the town.”

Council case officer Jon Barnes said: “Although the premises are adjoined by a coffee shop to the west, it is not considered that the proposed restaurant use would result in an undesirable concentration of non-A1 retail uses in the parade which could be harmful to the vitality of the parade.

“The proposal is for a daytime restaurant use which will contribute to the range of uses available to shoppers, workers and other town centre users.”

Four full-time members of staff and six part-time workers are set to be employed at the restaurant.

Toni&Guy’s salon, in Upper High Street, will become a restaurant