The man leading a long-awaited £30 million development on the site of a derelict department store says it will “change the face” of a Kent high street forever.

Manuel Alsoni is the chief executive of the firm behind the ambitious transformation of the old Nason’s site in Canterbury city centre.

He spoke exclusively to KentOnline this week as work looks set to finally get underway almost five years after the family-run firm shut its doors.

Mr Alsoni, who is head of the Setha Group, says he is excited to get going on the project, which includes a retail arcade with cafes, shops and a market hall, as well as a leafy public square and 66 flats.

“The site is challenging but has huge and exciting potential,” he said.

“We want this to be one of our flagship regeneration projects and we believe it will certainly change the face of the city centre for the better when complete.

“Our hope is to start some of the demolition work within weeks, so people passing by may see some activity.”

It will be five years next month since Nasons closed its doors and the premises was boarded up, leaving a gaping scar in the retail heart of the city.

The Setha Group later bought the site, and in 2019 revealed eye-catching images of how it could look when redeveloped and rebranded as Bigglestone Yard, in a nod to its historic past.

But like many new developments across east Kent, the project was stalled by the issue of nitrates polluting the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve on the edge of Canterbury.

Natural England blocked planning permission for all residential developments - which were said to be the cause - unless mitigating measures for waste water were put in place.

It meant Setha did not secure approval for its plans until November last year, after presenting a radical solution to the issue involving an on-site sewage storage and treatment plant.

Mr Alsoni, who visited the site last week, said: “We’ve been trying to get it started for some time, during which interest rates and construction costs have risen significantly.

“There have been lots of issues but we are still really keen and have been working on some drawings in recent weeks.

“Obviously, the water treatment has added to the cost and we were disappointed the redevelopment of a brownfield site like this has been included [in the projects requiring mitigating measures.

“But hopefully there will be another solution to the on-site works by the time we get to that stage.

“We hope to start demolition work within weeks.”

Mr Alsoni says Setha is now tendering for a suitably experienced and capable construction firm to work with on the project.

Some preliminary archaeological survey works have already taken place and more will get underway before construction starts.

He predicts that once begun, it will take at least two years to complete.

Canterbury-based Clague Architects has been working on the designs with Child Graddon Lewis.

Karl Elliott of Clague, says Biggleston Yard offers a “once-in-a-decade development opportunity”, reconnecting the Nasons site back to its industrial past while also creating an exciting new future with high-quality retailing.

Until 1963, the site was home to HM Biggleston & Sons, a six-generation family business that produced iron castings, railway girders, lamp posts and other street furniture. Many of the latter can still be found around the city centre.

During the site’s ownership by the Biggleston family, and predecessors Drury & Co, there was a foundry and forge on the western part of the site built in the mid-19th century.

The two buildings have been incorporated into the Biggleston Yard proposals, as has the late 19th century Foresters Hall and associated buildings which butt up to the churchyard of the former St Margaret’s Church at the rear.

Lisa Carlson, the chief executive of Canterbury’s Business Improvement District, said: “The regeneration of Biggleston Yard is very welcome news for Canterbury.

“This will add a much-needed boost to the middle of the high street, which has suffered following the closure of Nasons and Debenhams and the subsequent delays caused by the nutrient neutrality issue.

“We consistently welcome new stores to Canterbury, most recently Moo Like a Monkey on Palace Street and Vietnamese Restaurant Pho on Burgate, and we are delighted to see this large and significant site move forward.”