A former all-you-can-eat restaurant could be converted into six separate shops after closing unexpectedly.

The Oriental Buffet in Rendezvous Street, Folkestone shut for good in June last year.

A sign was placed on the door of the business saying it was closed “until further notice”, with its website blaming maintenance.

But the building was later advertised for rent on Motis Estates’ website at a price of £2,500 a month.

In January, an application was submitted to Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) to convert the venue into six units.

The application, submitted on behalf of the MPL group, says the conversion is to “satisfy the needs of potential starter small businesses”.

“The unit currently has no historic value in terms of occurrence or tenants, it also has no historical value or merit architecturally,” the report adds.

As part of the conversion, the roof lanterns are set to be removed, the interior will be subdivided into six units, and new shopfronts will be installed.

“This proposal reuses an existing building by providing much-needed small business space for local traders in a town centre location,” the report says.

Cllr Liz McShane (Lab), who represents the town centre on FHDC, said “it’d be good to get it used again”.

“It’s a really key space in a part of town people frequent going out eating, socialising and drinking,” she said.

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"Obviously we want to have as many spaces as possible that are used rather than just left vacant.”

Sandwich-based MPL Group are behind a number of developments around Kent, including the conversion of a farmstead in Eastry into a “luxury holiday let”.

It is not yet known when FHDC will decide on the bid, but a decision deadline of May 1 has been set by the authority.