A redundant car park could be turned into a beauty salon and office after a prolific developer submitted plans to the council.

Mark Quinn wants to transform a spot of land opposite the former Green Health Club in Charing.

He initially lodged plans to build a farm shop, but now wants to put up a single-storey office on the site off Pluckley Road.

He said: “We are changing the planning application following a meeting with Charing parish council.

“Seventy people in a parish survey said the village needed more office space and, as a community-minded developer, we have listened to the council.

“I thought it would be nuts not to do something with the land.”

Mr Quinn says he is already in talks with a company about taking up the new office, and says The Beauty Rooms business will move into the salon space.

He gained planning permission to convert the former health club on the other side of the road into flats earlier this year. “The health club was my first development when I bought it in 1997,” he added.

“I am never going to sell it as it is the site that has given me such good luck.

“We could have just returned the old car park back to grass, but the beauty salon has been successful for 15 years and it is good to give it a new home alongside the office.”

Jill Leyland, who is the chairman of Charing parish council, says she met with the developers last week. She said: “We have quite strong evidence that there is demand for offices in Charing.

“More than 70 people told us office space is needed and that is what we told Quinn Estates.

“There appears to be strong demand for the space in Charing and it should generate less traffic than a farm shop would.”