The owner of a new cafe in Ashford hopes to transform a 'ghost square' into a community hub when it opens next month.

Kennington Cafe will fill the former Bockhanger Barbers unit in Bockhanger Square which has been empty since last year.

Owner Nihat Kaygan, who also owns the Charcoal Grill in the same parade of shops, hopes the new cafe will provide a space for isolated people to meet and combat loneliness.

"We are doing it for the public, people have nothing to do around here so we want to make the space for them," Mr Kaygan said.

"They can come and sit down and chat together and catch up with people they haven't seen for a while.

"About 90% of people are older around here, they keep asking for places to see each other because especially with lockdown, they haven't seen each other for a long time.

"Some people will go all the way into town for a coffee and breakfast but now they can do it here."

Before becoming a barbers in October 2020, the unit had been a Post Office for 16 years but closed due to lack of custom.

Builders have spent the past three months renovating the site which is expected to open in the first week of August.

It will have an outdoor seating area and will employ about six members of staff.

In 2019, the nearby Bockhanger Community Centre was demolished after surveys highlighted the building was in poor condition and had spiralling upkeep costs.

Mr Kaygan will sublet the property from Sunny Dhanda who feels the area is crying out for a new community space.

"Since the hall has come down, it has been like a ghost square because there is nothing here and trade has gone down dramatically," said Mr Dhanda.

"We don't want the site empty, we want to bring a business towards the area.

"Everybody has been positive about it and it's going to mean the square will be used again."

In 2019, a petition set up by ward member Cllr Diccon Spain (Lab) campaigning for a replacement community hub attracted 1,700 signatures, but was rejected by Ashford Borough Council.

Speaking about the new cafe, Cllr Spain said: "Having a cafe like this is just going to be brilliant.

"In the interim, it will really bring people together, but in the longer term we desperately need a community hub for people of all ages.

"Now we're keeping the pressure on to make sure residents get something they really need and isn't too small."