A long-empty seaside unit planned to be turned into a swanky wine bar is now poised to become a hearing aid clinic.

Developers have spent years trying to nail down a tenant for their site in Beach Walk, Whitstable, yet have failed to fill the space.

Now, having seen proposals for wine rooms and a pilates studio fall by the wayside, development bosses have their hopes pinned on a less glamorous occupier.

Rather than sipping fine wine while enjoying a sunset over the horizon, customers will head to the site to get their hearing tested.

Whitstable Hearing, a firm specialising in the sale of hearing aids, is now set to take up residence at the seafront spot.

The site, just yards from the beach, was previously home to the Savoy Snooker & Social Club before it was flattened six years ago.

A luxury residential complex boasting a top-floor penthouse now stands in its place, but a commercial unit on the ground floor has forever remained empty.

In an effort to get it filled, George Wilson Developments - the company behind a host of the town's building projects - has applied to Canterbury City Council for a change of use at the vacant unit.

Permissions are agreed for a wine bar to open, but with a tenant failing to materialise, the developers need to alter its consent order before Whitstable Hearing can launch.

In planning papers lodged with the council, Steve Davies - writing on behalf of property consultants Hobbs Parker - said: "Unfortunately, the previously proposed use as a pilates studio has not been taken up and there continues to be no interest being shown in taking the premises on as a drinking establishment.

"The developer has continued to actively market the premises and has received interest for the use of the premises for a retail use with incidental healthcare provision."

Whitstable Hearing will primarily be a retail unit, although there will be a small area used for diagnostic work where customers attend appointments.

No extra parking spaces are planned, with attendees being required to use existing on-street bays or Gorrell Tank car park. No more than four members of staff are set to be based there.

A gradual decline in interest in snooker was blamed on the drop in visitors at the former Savoy.

Plans for its demolition were drawn up in 2015 and approved the following year.