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Proposals for a £23 million business park on the site of a former nightclub have been revealed.
George Wilson Developments has unveiled plans for a sprawling industrial estate just off the A299 Thanet Way at Sweechbridge Road near Herne Bay.
Located in the hamlet of Hawthorn Corner, the project would see the site transformed having been left to wrack and ruin following the demolition of the former Chez Laurie building decades ago.
It would offer more than 190,000sq ft of space across 12 buildings with the applicants saying it would create as many as 250 jobs in the process.
Josh Wilson, of George Wilson Developments, told KentOnline the area had a lack of large commercial space and warned many businesses were moving elsewhere in the county to ensure their needs were met.
“It’s an attractive site as it offers on/off access to the A299 in both directions,” said Mr Wilson.
“People want to see us on site this year, there’s a shortage locally of bigger units and demand is motivating us.
“But the longer the application takes to get determined, the harder it is to keep businesses interested.
“Lots of firms have moved to Thanet as the space is there, but there are definitely people keen to stay in the area.
“We’ve got expressions of interest in about 85% of the units but until we have consent legally nothing will be signed off.”
Businesses from industries such as printing, food and drink distribution and groundworks are all said to be those vying to take up space.
It is hoped construction will be completed within two years of approval, with the council offering a target date of March 20 to make a decision.
Though 76 units would be available, GWD is preparing for a significant number of firms opting to take over more than one plot and will sell off the site in chunks of 2,000sq ft across 10 buildings supported by 222 parking spaces.
The exceptions to this are two larger, specialist buildings which will boast 29,612sq ft and 13,000sq ft respectively.
Mr Wilson said his firm “had spent a lot of money monitoring traffic” to ensure the area did not become unsafe.
Canterbury City Council (CCC) has included the site in multiple versions of its Local Plan – a document detailing planned residential and commercial developments in the district.
The land has sat empty since the turn of the millennium, though it was formerly an Art Deco nightclub.
Built in 1935 with a unique appearance, Chez Laurie was once the place to be for Kent clubbers.
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The distinctive three-storey building contained unusual-looking aircraft wings sticking out of the sides and served its last drink in the late 1980s.
The historic building was turned into a photography studio but deteriorated to the point that it could not be repaired and had to be demolished as a result.
Petrol filling stations on the land were also demolished as part of the dualling of the A299 Thanet Way in 1997.