Plans to knock down an abandoned community hall and build holiday homes in its place have been welcomed by fed-up neighbours.

The owner of the Ship Inn pub in Dymchurch bought the “eyesore” building last year with the intention of transforming the site into a terrace of four Airbnbs.

His proposal - on land neighbouring the Grade II-listed inn - has sparked a fierce objection from Dymchurch Parish Council, which fears the properties will spark traffic and parking issues.

But local residents are backing the plans, claiming the derelict Bowery Hall is a health hazard and needs demolishing.

Patricia Barker, who lives just behind the run-down building, said: “It’s full of asbestos and it’s dangerous.

“I have lived with this for 14 years now. It’s a complete eyesore.”

Three of the holiday lets would have two bedrooms and the other just one, with an extra 11 parking spaces provided to support the Airbnbs and the pub itself.

Another resident of Ship Close, Wayne Hick, said: “Anything has got to be better than what is there now - you can see the asbestos.

“I’ve had bits of the building fall on my car. It needs to be sorted out."

Ship Inn owner Mark Lilly bought the building a year ago and in October submitted a planning application to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC).

Documents show he intends to run the Airbnbs in connection with the pub to increase revenue and help bring tourism into the town.

The application describes the community hall as a “real eyesore” that is “only going to get worse as it deteriorates”.

But the parish council is strongly opposed to the scheme, with members voting unanimously to register an official objection.

In an email to FHDC, parish council clerk Jeff Lawrence writes: "[It's an] over-intensive development of the area - the buildings, although designed to appear to be one-storey, are two-storey and will overlook neighbouring properties.

“One side of the property is bordered by a public footpath (only recently adopted by KCC) and a service road to the other, which leads to neighbouring properties.

“The increase in buildings will mean an increase in traffic in an area which (and especially during the summer period) suffers from obstructions.

“There are concerns that this will impede the right of access over the land for neighbouring properties.

“A question was raised about the location of the allocated parking areas along the Ship Field itself and the ownership of this land.”

But Mr Lilly says he sees no reason why the plans should be rejected and has criticised the parish council for its stance.

“Their reasons for objecting are spurious, unwarranted and quite frankly very amateur, because there is nothing in planning terms that makes sense to reject this,” he said.

In 2019, a proposal to demolish Bowery Hall and build five residential homes on the site was rejected by FHDC.

The authority has yet to make a decision on the latest application.