A bid to redevelop three prominent Canterbury city centre sites as part of a £25 million project is set to be officially submitted, KentOnline understands.

Planning permission to convert the Debenhams buildings fronting the High Street, Guildhall Street, Buttermarket and Mercery Lane could be achieved by the New Year, it is hoped.

The ambitious project - called the Guildhall Quarter - comprises 12 retail units on the ground floor and 70 flats above, with the development reaching five storeys at its highest.

The Cotswold Outdoor store - which is leased by Debenhams - will also be developed, remaining as retail on the ground floor with six flats above.

Closing down signs appeared in its windows last week.

It is hoped planning permission for the entire project could be achieved before Debenhams closes in January, with work starting in the spring of next year.

The proposals are being led by 90 North Real Estate, a property investment management company advising the site’s owners, Chaucer Property Investments Ltd, with the designs drawn up by Canterbury-based Clague Architects.

Managing partner Karl Elliott said: “From January three significant sites will be vacant in the city centre.

“Unless repurposed for today’s retailers and residents, it will undermine the local economy and if left empty for long make the area less attractive to people visiting the nearby Canterbury Cathedral Unesco world heritage site.

“Following Debenhams’ announcement that it was planning to close, the owners went out to the market in a search for new tenants. However, it quickly became clear the buildings’ size and layout didn’t work for three single occupiers, and so we have repurposed them into smaller, more attractive units.

“We are very keen to proceed as quickly as possible.”

Developers say the flats - providing between one and three bedrooms - would range in value from £285,000 to £550,000.

"We're very keen to proceed as quickly as possible..." Clague Architects managing partner Karl Elliott

There would be no parking on site, but some apartments would benefit from courtyard garden areas at the upper levels.

Construction is expected to take a year in total as part of a phased programme.

The project team says: “The majority of the work is internal and so we envisage little disruption to the major thoroughfares during the build programme and we will seek to make the sites as self-contained as possible.”

A public exhibition the plans in July was attended by almost 200 people.

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury