The first phase of a temporary leisure complex is set to open this weekend.

Dubbed ‘The Event Yard’, the outdoor entertainment space is to open at The Coachworks development in Dover Place, Ashford, on Saturday, serving Curious Brewery beer and cider and Macknade’s pizza and gelato to its first visitors.

The Coachworks scheme - designed by Carl Turner Architects - involves transforming three buildings into a mixed-use food, leisure and business campus.

It is being built after Ashford Borough Council (ABC) granted itself planning permission for the £850,000 development earlier this year.

The entire project is set to be fully operational by Halloween, but only has a five-year lifespan as the land is set to become the second phase of the Commercial Quarter in later years.

The new outdoor space will be used for vintage clothes sales, food markets, acoustic music events, council-run functions and cinema and live sports screenings.

Shipping containers have been placed at the rear of the yard and will be serving street food on the opening day, as bosses have now signed deals with a number of food and drink tenants.

Architect Carl Turner said: “The yard is a new outdoor space for Ashford, with the Yard Bar and an experimental pizza and gelato offering while we complete the larger phases of the work.

“The Yard Bar will be serving a selection of drinks including beer and cider supplied by Curious Brewery."

This weekend, The Event Yard will be open from 12pm to midnight on Saturday and 12pm to 11pm on Sunday.

Visit www.coach-works.co.uk for more information.

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