Kent County Council says it will not be opening a new reception centre for unaccompanied child asylum seekers after the closure of Ladesfield in Whitstable.

The former care home, in Vulcan Close, was earmarked as a temporary reception centre for 40 teenage migrants in July last year.

But now the council says there is no further need for the centre and the building will be demolished to make way for an extension to nearby Joy lane Primary School.

Peter Oakford, cabinet member for specialist children’s services, said: “As the number of young people arriving in Kent has reduced recently we are not looking to open an additional reception centre, although as the summer has shown this can change very quickly so we are keeping a very close watch on the situation.”

“The use of Ladesfield was always planned as a short term solution, after a quick refurbishment we were able to house up to 40 young people who needed a place to stay after fleeing their own countries in desperate circumstances."

As recently as October the Ladesfield centre was almost at capacity as Kent County Council deals with an unprecedented surge in the number of young migrants entering its care.

But KCC says it has no plans to mothball the building in case the situation changes, and instead plans to rely on existing reception centres at Millbank in Ashford and Swattenden in Cranbrook, which currently house 81 young people between them.

The opening of Ladesfield as a reception centre was met with protests from some sections of the community, with parents objecting to its proximity to the primary school.

KCC Chairman and local county councillor Mike Harrison said: “After all the strong local feeling and unpleasantness surrounding the opening of Ladesfield as a reception centre it is wonderful to see it reach such a positive conclusion.”

A application covering new school buildings and extra parking on the school site, and a new exit road through Ladesfield to Vulcan Close, is expected to be heard by the planning committee next month.

Subject to permission being granted, work could start as early as April, concluding in summer next year.

The remaining land will be sold by the council.

Furniture and equipment from Ladesfield will be used in the two remaining reception centres and the kitchen is being installed at the reception centre in Swattenden.

KCC says it is hoping to recover the refurbishment costs from the government.

In total the county council is responsible for 1,397 unaccompanied asylum seekers, with 929 of those under 18.