A multi-million pound development in Ashford is set to be completed as 200 flats in the heart of the town have been approved.

The plan to rejuvenate Elwick Road has so far seen the arrival of a cinema, hotel, and food and drink units at Elwick Place.

Now, two seven-storey blocks of flats will join them as councillors voted through the next stage of the project unanimously last week.

The flats will sit next to the Travelodge hotel and will include a gym, cafe and a ‘superlounge’.

Of the 200 flats, there will be 26 duplexes - an apartment with two floors - 59 one-bedroom flats and 104 two and four-bedroom flats.

A designated parking space will be built underneath the flats - 200 spaces - and 50% will come with electric car chargers.

The remaining 50% will also be able to get chargers in the future, with Cllr Nathan Iliffe (Con) in particular praising the scheme for its environmental credentials and said other developers should take note.

Other features include balconies for every apartment and a landscaped courtyard.

Outline planning permission was first granted in 2019 but the applicants, Stanhope PLC and Sunningdale House Developments, had to wait until last night for full approval.

The architect behind the flats, Guy Hollaway, also designed phase one of the project and said he was proud to give Ashford “a new life in the town centre”.

He said: “This is a mix of units, we wanted to get first time buyers and young professionals.

“We’ve designed this with a super lounge, this is a space where working from home doesn’t mean working from your bedroom.

“There’s also a gym, and a meeting room, you can have a dinner party in another, it’s got a cafe. That whole street front is completely alive.”

It is hoped the Elwick Road scheme, combined with redevelopment along Victoria Road, will bring more footfall to the town and act as a commuter hub with Ashford International.

With most councillors heaping praise on the development, Cllr Jessamy Blanford (Con) welcomed the development whole-heartedly: “I was very pleased to see this return because I think it’s the best block of flats we have seen in Ashford.

“I think it fits into Elwick Place, I was delighted to see the finish is largely in white as it fits in with the Victorian buildings on the other side of the street.

“I also think it will be a really welcoming place for people who don’t need to go to their office every day.”

While concerns were raised about the height of the seven-storey building, Cllr William Howard (Con) said the design of the superlounge was the “future direction” for developments.

He said: “They’re not just a place where you lie down in bed, they need to be places where you live.”

None of the homes will be classed as affordable.

This is because town centre schemes involving flats are not expected to provide affordable housing under ABC’s Local Plan.