Coachworks plan goes to committee

Plans to regenerate a group of derelict industrial buildings at Dover Place were expected to be approved last night (Wednesday).

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) is looking to transform three buildings, including a former corn store, into a new leisure complex next to the Cameo nightclub.

The Coachworks scheme is a development with only a fiveyear lifespan as the land is set to become the second phase of the Commercial Quarter in later years.

Subject to approval, the area would be divided into four zones, consisting of a food and drink hall, office space and a performance area.

The former theatre building, which has sat empty since the Ashford Youth Theatre left the site in 2016, is set to be rebranded as ‘The Hothouse’.

The 5,500 sq ft building will become the centrepiece of the project - featuring an eye-catching mezzanine level and transforming into a lantern at night.

The three-storey former corn store will be converted into a business base with start-up work spaces and shared facilities, hosting up to 200 people.

Part of the outdoor area dubbed The Event Yard - will feature tiered seating, ideal for theatre and cinema performances, live sports screenings or ‘somewhere to sit in the sun and have a beer’ during the summer months.

It will cost the council around £650,000 to renovate and convert the buildings in Dover Place.

ABC submitted plans for the short-term project in September and hopes to have the site up and running by the summer if planning is approved.

The Coachworks scheme at Dover Place