Frustrated town centre traders say their street has become an "eyesore" as they continue to wait for work to begin on a 92-bed hotel.

Just one shop now remains in part of New Rents, Ashford, after plans to build the facility were approved last summer.

Six units are set to be flattened to make way for the scheme, with the PDSA charity shop now the only store currently still occupied.

A demolition notice was lodged with Ashford Borough Council earlier this year, but no date or timescale has been given for the work.

When it does begin, the row of shops between the former Game and HomePlus Furniture units will be bulldozed, with Betfred becoming the latest name to leave the area.

Kevin Webb, who owns Ashford Sewing Centre opposite where the hotel is planned, says he hopes work will start soon as the boarded-up shops are having a real impact on the town centre.

“We have noticed a big drop in footfall since the shops closed,” he explained.

“It's frustrating because we have had all these businesses going which is terrible for locals and it has left this end of town looking a bit like an eyesore.

“If they had started the demolition in the summer it would have been better for us because it is a quieter time.

“The work is going to be disruptive so if they do it at a busy time of the year it is going to be even more of a problem for us.

“At the moment, I'm stood looking at a new church with blacked-out windows [New City of Redemption Parish is moving into the former RBS unit] and a run-down corner unit.

“I'm all for full-up units that are trading, it doesn’t matter to me what they are, but I also think Ashford needs a town centre.

“I'm not a hotelier but it’s not a place I would put a hotel with the lack of parking, there's no theatre to pull people in and there is no Eurostar, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Also directly opposite the proposed hotel is Pressure Point escape rooms in the unit above Caffe Nero.

Owner Keri Inglis hopes a demolition date will be announced soon so she can start planning her business around the noise.

“We received a demolition notice but it doesn't tell us when it is all happening,” she said.

“For us as a business in the leisure and entertainment industry, having a hotel can only be of benefit.

“It’s right opposite us and we are quite fortunate that we run mainly at evenings and weekends and I can’t imagine there will be a huge amount of building work going on during those times.

“But at Christmas, we are quite busy all the time so we need to know if work will be happening this year.

“The walls aren't very thick and if it’s really loud, is it going to affect our customers’ experience. It will break immersion if all you can hear is banging.

“I can only see the hotel as a benefit because it's people coming into the town.

“Hopefully people who stay there will spot us and think that looks fun, let’s book in.”

Designed by architect Guy Hollaway – who drew up the scheme on behalf of applicant SPPF Ltd – the project will also include 10 flats on the top floor.

The operator of the site is not yet known, but it will offer three to four-star accommodation.

While parking won’t be provided for hotel guests, there is an agreement in place with County Square for guests to use the centre's car park, and 12 spaces will be built for the residents of the flats.

When built, the first and second floors of the unit will be exclusively for hotel use, with the third floor earmarked for mixed hotel and residential, and the fourth floor exclusively for residential use.

A bar, restaurant and spa will all be on the ground floor, along with the hotel's reception area.

Betfred became the latest business to leave after vacating its unit earlier this month, meaning PDSA is the last remaining tenant in the row of six.

It is not yet clear when the animal charity plans to move out of the unit, but it says it hopes to find a new home in Ashford.

A spokesman said: “We are currently exploring options with regards to our charity shop in Ashford.

“We are very grateful for the continued support from the local community and we do intend to remain in Ashford.

“We will share updates as soon as we can.”

In a statement, an Ashford Borough Council spokesman confirmed the authority had received a demolition notice earlier this year.

“The original demolition notice was submitted by the site owner in March with a proposed demolition start date of May this year,” they said.

“We have not been included in any correspondence to confirm the reasons for the delay to the commencement of works.

“As 60 days have lapsed since the original notice was accepted a new notice will be required for the works in the future.

“However, we welcome investment in our town centre and look forward to seeing the hotel development progress”