A new lease of life is planned for the derelict warehouse on the former tannery site in Canterbury.

One of the country’s leading boutique hotel chains, Hotel du Vin, has announced a scheme to restore and convert the building, which fronts Stour Street, into a luxury 40-bedroom hotel.

It has also been revealed that Bellway Homes, which is developing the site, has sold off other original tannery buildings in Stour Street to specialist Faversham developer Colin Strickland.

He is believed to have acquired the properties for around £4million but will seek planning permission for a revised and improved scheme of fewer homes, mostly involving the renovation of the existing Victorian and Georgian properties.

For full story and reaction, see this week’s Kentish Gazette.