A closure-hit shopping centre and neighbouring multi-storey car park are to be knocked down, council bosses have revealed.

Traders in Park Mall in Ashford have been told they need to vacate the site by August 31 ahead of demolition work.

Bosses at Ashford Borough Council (ABC) say they will replace the centre and adjacent Edinburgh Road multi-storey with an “interim surface level car park while exploring ideas for what the area could be transformed to in the future”.

Park Mall has been hit by a number of closures in recent years, with the loss of Wilko in 2023 its most high-profile departure.

ABC, which owns both sites, has long held ambitions to turn the shopping mall into homes, but it remains unclear how many properties are earmarked for the area.

In a statement released this morning, the authority said the centre “has been in a state of spiralling decline for several years and is operating at a significant loss”.

It recently obtained the freehold for Park Mall, which was built in the 1980s.

“This move would reduce the council’s operating losses on the site and pave the way forward for the onward redevelopment and regeneration of Park Mall,” it said.

“By securing the freehold, the council now has full control over the onward redevelopment plans for the site, with these plans playing an important role in the wider regeneration of the town centre.

“In December 2024, cabinet and full council members agreed to recommendations to purchase the Park Mall freehold, which was completed at the end of January 2025.

“The next stage is taking forward a planning application for the demolition of Park Mall and Edinburgh Road car park, and the provision of an interim surface level car park and triggering break clauses for Park Mall tenants to secure vacant possession of the site by October 2025.

“The council will work closely with existing Park Mall tenants, and where appropriate seek to support them in relocating into vacant units elsewhere in the town centre.

“The exception would be the three tenants (O2, Kamsons and Greggs) whose units face onto Upper High Street and have longer term leases.

“These three units will remain, as they maintain an attractive and active presence and will not impede the wider re-development of the site.”

Cllr Simon Betty (Ashford Independent) says the council has “always held long-term ideas to transform the centre away from retail”.

“Now seems the right time to redevelop Park Mall so it continues to play an important role in the town centre’s future,” he said.

“Where we can, we will support the current tenants to find suitable premises elsewhere, and by building a short-term surface car park we will provide a nicer, safer environment to park.

“An important factor in bringing the centre forward for redevelopment is acquisition of the freehold interest, which provides the council with the control it needs to achieve this ambition.

“With the centre making unsustainable operating losses, this is an ideal opportunity to move forward with these plans.”

ABC says it will “shortly be advertising for development partners who will be invited to submit proposals outlining their approach” for the site.