Concerned residents fear town centre roads will be overloaded with parked cars if plans to demolish a row of popular shops are given the go-ahead.

JDP Limited has launched a bid to flatten the units – including dance school Stage Door Arts (SDA), a Pilgrims Hospices shop and the Simply Danish furniture store – in Ramsgate High Street.

The developer plans to replace the buildings with a four-floor block comprising five reduced-sized retailers and 40 flats – which it insists will be in keeping with rest of the area.

But the scheme has attracted dozens of objections amid worries the new properties will resemble “rabbit hutches”.

In a letter to Thanet District Council, local Terence Huckstep argued: “The surrounding streets would provide little opportunity for parking and would blight the area if used.

“The flats themselves appear little more than rabbit hutches providing an over-populated small space.

“I am unaware if these are rental or purchase properties, but would strongly suggest this awful use of space for capitalist gain is rejected for a more sustainable and thought-out proposal.”

Meanwhile Lisa Fisher, whose daughter dances at SDA, insists the local authority should be pushing to “build small businesses, not tear them down”.

Simply Danish owner Flemming Moberg also claims none of the tenants running the high street premises were consulted about the project before it was unveiled.

He has also told KentOnline that he decided to move the store to another site in the town before the plans were unveiled two months ago.

The business is due to relocate in November, while Cats in Crisis, which occupies one of the other affected units, will go elsewhere at the end of this month as its lease is due to come to an end.

And Heidi Moran, who runs the space SDA shares with a community boutique, believes the “development is not needed”.

"This would be a huge loss to the community..."

“The area is starting to thrive, with cafés, galleries, shops and delis opening,” she explained.

“Our space is a thriving community hub. SDA has 250 students ranging from zero to 18 years old, plus adult classes. These people mostly live locally and walk to classes.

“We are one of the hosts for the Ramsgate International Film Festival and Ramsgate Festival of Sound. Lots of local groups use the space and facilities.

“We took the building on in March 2020 – with a long lease – in the hope it would be our long-term home. This would be a huge loss to the community.”

Drawings show the five ground-floor commercial units will have a total floor space of about 480 m sq – as opposed to the 1,500 m sq the businesses currently command.

JDP stresses all of the existing tenants “will be offered alternative accommodation” available from its portfolio of properties.

Planning papers say: “We are fully committed to retaining their existing tenants.

“Pilgrims Hospices occupy by far the largest tenancy and have indicated their business would benefit from larger premises.

“We are negotiating the purchase of a large commercial building adjacent to the site which will provide the charity with sufficient space.

“The remaining tenants will be offered the new units or an offsite alternative.”

Thirty-four of the homes built above will have one bedroom, while the rest will range in size from two- to three bedrooms.

Despite this, JDP is not planning to create any parking spaces.

It says the design of the current two-storey site “is of a typical brutal 1980s style, and in complete contrast to the adjoining buildings”.

“We must recognise that large town centre shops are on the decline,” the company continues.

“Commercial shopping centre must diversify and seek alternative sustainable uses in order to survive.

“It is therefore necessary for the retail aspect to reduce in size and find more sustainable uses that will help them become more flexible in these challenging times.”