A Kent council is set to snap up 109 town centre flats in a deal worth more than £18 million.

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) is to buy the New Quarter next to the landmark nine-storey Panorama building.

The authority says the £18.5m investment is its "largest ever" purchase of council housing to date.

A total of 109 units of one and two-bedroom flats are set to feature in the new build.

Work on the west wing, with 44 flats, is due to be completed this autumn, with the larger east wing - of 65 homes - expected by early 2021.

In what the council has called a "ground-breaking initiative", first priority for the flats will be given to key workers.

A spokesman for the council says the aim is to provide "affordable rented accommodation to key workers that have an identified housing need".

Cllr Bill Barrett, ABC's portfolio holder for housing, said: “As an authority, we have funded the construction of a town centre cinema and we are now investing in residential accommodation also in our town centre.

"We have a real stake in our town centre and a vested interest in making it a vibrant place, one in which we create opportunities for those who work here to feel part of something special."

ABC leader Cllr Gerry Clarkson said: "This acquisition represents the largest handover of general needs accommodation to be managed on one site by the council.

"In today’s climate, such a transaction makes a major announcement about our commitment to affordable housing.

“Ashford continues to lead the way in housing development in Kent."

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