Work has started to convert a former town centre bank into a shop and flat.

Contractors are transforming the interior of the empty Barclays building in Tenterden high street after planning permission was granted.

An application to turn the building into a shop was submitted in August 2022 by bosses at the nearby London Beach Country Hotel in St Michaels.

The plans, which include a two-bed flat above the shop, will see the front of the building transformed with new windows, to bring light to the flat.

The existing rear fire exit from the ground floor will be utilised as the entrance for the first floor flat. A new partition will be provided to separate the ground floor from the access to the apartment above.

Tenterden Town Council commented on the planning application to indicate its support, with conditions.

The authority wants to see the building "retain its character" and any changes, including the installation of windows, be consulted on by a council conservation officer.

The plans were submitted on behalf of Pierre Edmonds, who co-owns the prestigious 25-room London Beach Hotel in Ashford Road, and permission was granted subject to conditions in November last year.

One of the conditions mentioned in the planning officer’s report stipulates that the space can only be used by a retail shop – with any potential change of use to a cafe or takeaway to require an additional planning application.

They came just eight months after Barclays shut its doors in the town for the final time in February last year, with a replacement van service coming to Glebe Hall car park in Church Road twice a month.

Another former bank on the high street – Lloyds – is also set for change, with Domino’s eyeing a move into the ground floor of the building.

Consultation on the takeaway giant’s plan ends on November 10, with a decision date calculated for December 11.