Once bustling with big-name chains, Ashford\u2019s Park Mall shopping centre has become – quite literally – a shell of its former self.<\/p>\n
One disgruntled trader went as far to say the site \u201cdied\u201d last week following the departure of Poundstretcher, which had occupied a unit previously home to New Look.<\/p>\n
Ashford’s former Poundstretcher unit in Park Mall shopping centre was once home to New Look, but now sits empty<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one will bother to come here now,\u201d they said as staff cleared stock from the unit, leaving just empty shelves behind.<\/p>\n
Six months have passed since owner Ashford Borough Council (ABC) confirmed plans to flatten the mall to make way for an interim car park, and then a residential scheme in later years.<\/p>\n
The announcement in February was met with fury by traders, who were initially given until just the end of August to leave.<\/p>\n
That was extended to January 9 following a huge backlash, but many businesses are yet to confirm their future plans.<\/p>\n
Twenty-seven were based in the centre when ABC made its announcement, but now only 20 remain.<\/p>\n
Park Mall – which has been owned by Ashford Borough Council since 2015 – is to be demolished in early 2026<\/p>\n
One of those – print shop Kall Kwik – has been based in the centre since it opened in September 1987, occupying a unit next to the town\u2019s First World War tank.<\/p>\n
Owner Kate Edwards says she is keen to stay in Ashford, but says ABC\u2019s statement took her by surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy reaction was how did we not hear about this sooner? It was just kept so quiet,\u201d the 44-year-old said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew something could happen, but units were let out to people in December so we all thought we had a while yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then, bang, just two months later we were all told to go, so both the decision then and communication was a shock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kate Edwards of Kall Kwik is keen to stay in Ashford
Park Mall shopping centre, its car park, and the neighbouring Edinburgh Road multi-storey are all due to be demolished<\/p>\n
Ms Edwards, who lives in Godinton, says she is still \u201clooking for the right place\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need vehicle access for our deliveries and many town centre units just don\u2019t have that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rent is as much as three times in some places anyway.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople need to be near for collecting heavy printers so our only option at the moment is moving to an industrial estate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we lost a bit of business at least an industrial estate will be cheaper, but either way it\u2019s not really good.<\/p>\n
Kall Kwik was one of Park Mall’s original stores<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just need to be in Ashford – our customer base is largely here and if we move away we\u2019ll lose that.\u201d<\/p>\n
A number of businesses have already set up elsewhere in the town, including beauty salon Divine, which has moved to County Square, joining fellow former Park Mall tenant East Kent Mobility.<\/p>\n
Owner Rita Bhandari, 40, says the switch is working well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been here about two weeks and it\u2019s going much better than we hoped,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything happens for a reason and we are seeing more people come here.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have always been blessed with regular customers, but now new ones are coming in.<\/p>\n
Rita Bhandari, left, pictured with sister Shamim, at Divine\u2019s new home in County Square after 15 years at Park Mall
Divine is now at County Square<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a really good first week for us, but now we will have to see over the next couple of months how things go.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Little Teapot – which had been based next to Poundstretcher since 2016 – has also moved on, and is now operating from a smaller premises in Bank Street.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, art centre The Craftship has switched to Coachworks at Dover Place, while its sister site Made in Ashford is also due to move.<\/p>\n
Melissa Dawkins – who runs both operations – says she is \u201cpretty close\u201d to signing a new lease elsewhere for the gift shop.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for it to happen and have almost secured another town centre location for the Made in Ashford shop,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Craftship opened at Coachworks in May
The Craftship now runs art classes at Coachworks, Dover Place<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Craftship has also been at Coachworks and we\u2019ve been up and running since May.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going really well and we never had to stop really.\u201d<\/p>\n
KentOnline contacted national retailers, Savers and Warhammer, about whether they intend to continue trading in Ashford, but did not receive a response.<\/p>\n
Both chains are still currently operating in the centre, as is wedding shop WED2B, which has been linked to County Square.<\/p>\n
Tattoo parlour, TAT 2 LTD, is set to replace the former Billy\u2019s Pie and Mash premises in North Street, while boss of The Record Store, Vince Monticelli, says he is hoping to move to Bank Street in the coming months.<\/p>\n
But Dr Martine Rukengwa – who ran The Ashford Hub in Park Mall until last week – says he is yet to find a new home for his business.<\/p>\n
Dr Martine Rukengwa of The Ashford Hub, which was based in the former Boots hearing shop
The Ashford Hub shut its doors last week<\/p>\n
\u201cWe offer a range of services such as helping people with physical and mental wellbeing and IT skills,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople came here to have a coffee and chat, but they are not going to be able to do that for the time being while we work remotely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for a new space but we haven\u2019t found anything yet as it\u2019s been difficult, so we\u2019re going to try and keep having some viewings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are about 12 people who work here, so what is happening is very sad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beata Krakowiak, owner of Sowa Polish Shop, says she is in a similar position.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old KFC unit in the Lower High Street is on the market but it\u2019s \u00a342,500 per year, so plus VAT and business rates it\u2019s like \u00a360,000 which is crazy,\u201d the 39-year-old said.<\/p>\n
Sowa Polish Shop is yet to find a new site in Ashford
TAT 2 LTD is due to move from Park Mall to the former Billy’s Pie and Mash unit in North Street later this year<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to find anything nearby as places are a really high price.<\/p>\n
\u201dWe\u2019re still looking but nothing is happening for us yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team behind the centre’s One You unit – which offers weight loss advice among other services – say they are also in the process of finding a new site.<\/p>\n
The service is run by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, Kent County Council and ABC.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know how much this service means to the Ashford community and we\u2019re committed to keeping it in the town centre,\u201d said team lead Beverley Crossland.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we prepare to leave Park Mall towards the end of the year, we\u2019ll continue to offer services in the existing shop and we\u2019re working hard to finalise a new location and hope to be able to share more details soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
One You has been based in Park Mall since 2017<\/p>\n
ABC, which is run by an Ashford Independents\/Green Party coalition, has long held ambitions to flatten Park Mall, blaming a declining retail sector, the loss of anchor tenants such as Wilko and escalating maintenance costs.<\/p>\n
Council papers show how the authority – which has owned the site since 2015 – maintains \u201cPark Mall is not financially sustainable\u201d.<\/p>\n
It will replace the mall with an interim car park but is planning a \u201cresidential-led, mixed-use development\u201d on the site, which bosses say has annual losses of \u00a3700,000.<\/p>\n