An opticians has spent £500,000 to move a town centre branch to the opposite side of a high street.

Specsavers made the investment to relocate its Sevenoaks High Street store.

The new home for the branch, which had been in the town for 16 years, has doubled the store’s footprint and created more jobs.

It has moved into the building once home to Halifax – almost directly opposite where Specsavers originally opened.

Mayor of Sevenoaks, Cllr Claire Shea (Lib Dem) joined staff during the opening.

The branch has increased the number of testing rooms from three to five and also has a dedicated “hearcare” facility.

Opthalmic director Bhavesh Hansjee said: “We are delighted to offer this store to our customers old and new and thank Cllr Shea for supporting the launch.

“We believe the investment we’ve made will bring real benefits, combining the latest eye care and retail technology to provide a highly professional and ultra-modern service.

“Alongside the move we’ve also been able to employ three new members of staff, including two pre-registration optometrists who will be starting their training in August.”

The store plans to invest in more state-of-the-art optical equipment, as well as a new sound booth over the next 12 months, with a combined investment of an extra £75,000.

Mr Hansjee added: “Our customer demand is ever growing so we grabbed the opportunity to move into a bigger space with both hands.

“At a time where the NHS is under severe pressure, we want to make sure that we can provide a vital service to our community.

“We have been a part of the town for 16 years, supporting local events and organisations as well as customers, and we’re proud to say we will be able to continue that for many more years to come.”

The store will be open Mondays 10am to 6pm, Tuesdays to Fridays from 9am to 6pm, Saturdays 9am to 5pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm.