Residents and businesses are planning to hand the new owners of a shopping centre their vision for its future, after the site was sold.

The New Ash Green shopping centre was due to go under the hammer yesterday (Thursday), amid fears it would be replaced with housing, but the auction was cancelled after the lot was snapped up ahead of the sale.

Following the news, the founder of the NAG Shopping Centre Preservation Group, was positive.

Laura Manston said: "I didn't think it would be sold this week to be honest, but it needs development. The concern now is that it is the right development. It could be great."

The auction had advertised the property as an investment, suggesting part or all of it may be suitable for redevelopment.

The area for sale included Ash Green Village Pharmacy, Partners Cafe and Gift shop, Ash Green Fish and Chips and Spice Village – some of whom have been in the village for more than 20 years.

It also included the flats above them, with the exception of the Co-Op’s supermarket and its upper floor, and the village's three car parks.

Following the announcement of the sale last month, Laura set up the New Ash Green Village Preservation Group.

Despite initial fears the site could be demolished and replaced with housing, Laura is now looking forward to working pro-actively to create a vision for the area that will benefit everyone, and is positive about the future of the 1960s building.

But she is yet to find out who the new owners are. Sevenoaks District Council is also unaware who has bought it.

"I don't want to just sit back and let them do what they think we want," Laura said.

"We need to be proactive and work with the owners. In that way it will benefit everyone. The owners will make money and we can hopefully have a successful centre that people actually want to use.

"It's no good putting in shops and facilities that people don't want and aren't going to visit."

Over the coming weeks Laura will be creating surveys and polls to determine what it is people who live and work in New Ash Green want.

"I will be asking for thoughts on the products, services, atmosphere and aesthetics that anyone who uses the village centre would like to see built and would use."

The inspiration for the document came from a similar one created by the Save Swanscombe Peninsula Group, where a vision was designed with input from the RSPB, Kent Wildlife Trust, Buglife and The Countryside Charity Kent.

It included surveys of residents' hopes to see the site preserved as a nature reserve and data on the wildlife which could be affected by any commercial development.

Laura will be hosting a Village Forum for anyone who is interested to come along and put forward their ideas so she can present the new owners with the villagers' hopes for the future.

The forum will take place at New Ash Green Village Hall at 1.30pm on Saturday, February 25. Everyone is welcome.