Traders granted an extra four months in a doomed shopping centre say they are still being “fobbed off” by council bosses amid calls for compensation.

The deadline for tenants to move out of Park Mall in Ashford was initially set at the end of August ahead of the arrival of bulldozers early next year.

But site owner Ashford Borough Council (ABC) last week revealed tenants will now be able to stay until January 9 2026.

The authority plans to replace the centre and adjoining Edinburgh Road multi-storey with an interim surface-level car park, while plans to build flats on the land remain in the pipeline.

But business owners still operating in the mall say the authority - which is run by an Ashford Independents/Green Party coalition - should be offering more support.

David Hebditch, who has run Baby Art Studios and neighbouring Bump2Baby Scan in Park Mall since 2023, is calling on the council to offer a compensation package.

The 62-year-old Park Farm resident said: "They are making out they are doing us favours but what is happening isn't fair.

"The ecosystem of the town centre is being destroyed here and, for us as tenants, they're not addressing relocation costs or helping us secure a new property.

"We're the casualties of all of this. I will lose £100,000 and still have three-and-a-half years left on my lease so what is happening is a kick in the teeth.”

Mr Hebditch is one of almost 700 people who have signed a petition urging ABC to offer “fair compensation”.

April Jones, owner of Sensory Ashford, who has run development classes for babies up to the age of one in Park Mall since September, says she is another who feels the extension offered by the council is not getting to the core of the issue.

"It hasn’t really helped in that we’re still finding a place to rent," the 31-year-old mum said.

“Plus Christmas is a busy time for us, so it’s all still going to be a bit of a rubbish ending to the year with this new time now.

“The council knew the money I was paying and let me spend things like solicitors’ fees when I came here in September so it does feel like I'm getting fobbed off.

“What I have now is the perfect size and is affordable - these other places are like four times the price.

“So I’m looking at schools, places like Singleton Environment Centre and the Stour Centre and mobile classes now."

ABC says that in the decade since acquiring the leasehold of Park Mall, it has sought to support local traders.

But a declining retail sector, the loss of anchor tenants and escalating maintenance costs have resulted in the centre running at a “significant, unsustainable loss”.

Alongside the extended vacancy date, ABC is also offering a £10,000 empty premises grant to assist with relocation inside the town centre and a rent refund for the final three months of traders’ leases.

ABC says tenants also have the flexibility to leave before January 9, with no rent charged from the date they leave the premises.

Rita Bhandari, of Divine Beauty, started her facial, threading and waxing treatment business in Park Mall in 2010.

The Godinton resident, 40, said: “January is a difficult time of the year so I think it’s going to be hard to find a new place even with the date being moved.

“We want to stay in the town centre and are keeping our fingers crossed we can find somewhere, but it’s the same for everyone.

“The time we’ve been given to leave isn’t too bad, but it’s about finding a new place and then starting from scratch which is hard now."

However, Beata Krakowiak, owner of Sowa Polish Shop, says the extension announcement has not stopped her from considering moving her supermarket business out of Ashford altogether.

When asked for her thoughts on the situation, the 39-year-old, who has been at Park Mall since 2013, replied: “I think the extension has made no difference because the start of January is a few weeks after Christmas, so we want to move by November.

“It does give us more time to think if we find a new property, but that time at Christmas is important.

“The units in town are also quite small and most are for office space. They’re hard to find for retail.

“We want to stay nearby ideally but we would think about going to Maidstone, Canterbury or Folkestone."

It is currently unknown exactly when demolition of Park Mall will begin, but ABC says it will get underway early next year.

The authority, which obtained the freehold of the site in January, says the next step in its future is the appointment of contractors to schedule the works.

In a further statement, it added: “We are continuing to work with individual tenants, and we have responded to both their requests to extend the time period and provide financial support.

“As we have previously explained, the redevelopment of Park Mall is required as the centre is currently operating at a considerable loss, which is no longer sustainable.”