Plans to turn a disused court and former police station into a "co-working space" for entrepreneurs and small businesses have been given the green light.

Dartford Magistrates' Court in Highfield Road, on the corner of West Hill, shut its doors for good several years ago.

Since then the building – which also hosted a former police station dating back to 1872 – has fallen into a state of disrepair.

Now planning permission has been granted by Dartford council to revitalise the site and bring it back into community use.

The plans will see the building converted into co-working office spaces with further facilities including meeting rooms and a café.

Offices will be created from former cells but architectural features of historical significance such as the main cell door will be retained as a condition of planning permission.

This change of use relates to the building fronting Highfield Road only and includes a single-storey extension to the rear to provide a new entrance for wheelchair access.

It was originally constructed as a police station before it became a local magistrates' court.

Since the court's closure in 2016, cases reaching this level have been transferred to Medway Magistrates' Court 17 miles away.

It meant there was no longer a magistrates' court service in either Dartford or Gravesend, where the bench closed 19 years ago.

The move formed part of the Ministry of Justice's plans to shut poorly-used and expensive-to-run courts across England and Wales.

Figures from from HM Courts & Tribunal Service showed the service was used at 30% capacity in its last year at a cost of £213,000 to the public purse.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson expressed his disappointment at the time, which he said would mean longer journeys for those attending court.

The developers behind the project say its transformation will turn "trauma into triumph".

Rehoboth chief executive Sanmi Adegoke said: “We are delighted to have secured planning consent for this development.

"This iconic development will transform the vacant buildings into a vibrant community co-working space, whilst also preserving the historic context of the buildings. It will also provide a range of facilities for Dartford residents to use.”

The project managers believe the post-Covid-19 landscape will provide an excellent opportunity for freelancers and small businesses in search of more flexible working arrangements.

Construction has commenced with a view to the new space being made available from September.

They said this would need to be managed safely to ensure the health and safety and wellbeing of all workers on site.

Mr Adegoke added: “The safety and economic stability of our construction workers and partners are of paramount importance to us.

"We are confident that measures have been put in place that go above and beyond the government’s guidance for safety.

"In an event in which an employee becomes unwell, our team will be ready to deploy our rapid response procedures.

"It has also been made clear that these protocols will be strictly enforced, and any individual failing to uphold standards will be removed from the site.”

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