Traders say the reopening of a multi-storey car park is a huge relief for the town - but fear it will be too late to bring in vital Christmas trade.

The 289-space facility in Ashford's Edinburgh Road closed in July after concrete fell from the ceiling during the summer's heatwave.

Ashford Borough Council, which owns the facility, last week confirmed it plans to reopen the car park following a safety review.

Work to bring the facility up to scratch is due to begin at the end of the month but could take up to six weeks to complete.

Shop owners who reported a big drop in footfall following the closure have welcomed the news but fear they won't see the benefits this Christmas.

Kati Ramsden who runs Bare Bazaar said: "When I got the notice saying it was reopening I thought 'thank God'.

"I'm very glad they are reopening it, I just don't have much hope it will do much in terms of Christmas.

"Best case scenario, it will open just before Christmas but people are starting their Christmas shopping now."

It comes as another town centre car park, nearby Park Mall car park, is currently only partially open, resulting in less spaces for shoppers.

At East Kent Mobility, a spokesperson said Edinburgh Road car park reopening will be hugely beneficial to disabled people who rely on the abundance of accessible spaces.

The spokesman added: “People are always ringing up asking where they can park and we’re struggling to find places to tell them.

“Only having downstairs open in the Park Mall car park next door is a problem because if you’re not here by 9am you can’t get a space.

“When it opens it will make things a lot easier for people because if they have a blue badge, they won’t even have to pay, they get three hours free.”

Echoing concerns is Vince Monticelli, owner of The Record Store, who feels more needs to be done to send people into the Park Mall shopping complex.

"The good news is it's getting fixed finally, but they need to rethink the downstairs car park in Park Mall too because it's always full with office workers and no shoppers can get there and it is noticeable," he added.

"It's great news that it's opening, but before Christmas is a bit slow.

“It will be too late for Christmas because people shop earlier because they save for it.

“It’s about time the council did something to send people from the high street into Park Mall [shopping centre].”

Claire Heel, owner of Emporia Fabric and Craft hopes the work will not take the full six weeks so the car park can open as soon as possible.

“It is good we’ll have it back open because it has really affected businesses, but if we could have it open quicker that would be better,” she said.

“It’s a bit too close to Christmas for it to help with Christmas shopping.”

In a previous statement, Ashford Borough Council said: “We are pleased to advise that a health and safety inspection has taken place and following review it has been agreed that the required works, in order to open Edinburgh Road car park, will commence as soon as possible.

“We are hoping for works to start in a few weeks’ time (late October) and anticipate taking approximately four to six weeks to complete.

“We would like to thank everyone for their patience while this review was taking place.”

The adjacent Park Mall car park - which closed in September 2021 with just 32 hours notice after its operator NCP decided to shut the site - partially reopened in the summer, after ABC took it over.

However the council says the top of the car park will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

It has been plagued by antisocial behaviour in the past.

Ms Ramsden added: "I definitely think they need to do something about the antisocial behaviour in the top of the Park Mall car park.

"It needs to be boarded up because people are always causing mischief."

It is currently unclear why the top storey won't be used, or whether the notoriously unreliable lifts at Edinburgh Road will reopen before Christmas.

It comes as NCP opened a new, small car park in Queen Street this week, close to the County Square shopping centre.