Discount retailer B&M has announced plans to move into a vacant Homebase store near Dartford town centre.

The budget chain is eyeing up a move into an "established out-of-centre shopping destination" located on Princes Road, next to the Volkswagen dealership.

The Homebase and adjoining garden centre has permanently shut its doors and a new operator is yet to move in.

Current use of the location is restricted to a DIY store but B&M has submitted plans for a change of use to "permit the display and sale of a wider range of goods".

This would include its stock of largely non-perishable food items, toiletries, non-fashionable clothing, toys, homeware and household goods, DIY and furniture.

Apart from seeking a change in the use of the premises to accommodate the goods which B&M would sell, no other changes to the building are proposed.

B&M says the store would generate 55 jobs, of which 14 would be hired full-time and a further 41 would operate part-time, on contracts less than 30 hours.

Although it adds these figures would rise at seasonal times such as Christmas, Halloween and during the Summer months.

It says all these roles would be advertised and recruited locally.

The nearest store to Dartford residents currently is the B&M in Gravesend High Street. There are also branches in Strood and Chatham.

In a planning application prepared on its behalf and presented to Dartford council, B&M say they found no evidence to suggest that their plans would "give rise to a significant adverse impact" on the town in combination with other retail proposals including Bluewater's expansion plans.

A statement read: "The application reflects structural change within the bulky goods retail warehouse market since the variation in the planning permission was granted in 2015 and indeed the original consent was granted in the 1980’s.

"The number of retail failures and CVAs including Toys R Us, Maplin, Carpetright and Mothercare is indicative of the contraction of the traditional out of centre retail warehouse market.

"The significant number of store closures and planned closures nonetheless provides opportunities for other retailers such as B&M Retail Ltd, to make beneficial use of long established, existing retail space, creating employment and both maintaining and enhancing shopping provision within towns such as Dartford."

The budget goods retailer added that it had looked at units in Dartford's Orchard Shopping Centre and the town's new Copperhouse Green scheme but these were deemed too small.

So far just the one comment has been received on the council's planning portal.

The local resident said: "I do agree that a B&M store would be very beneficial to the people of Dartford and can generate many jobs and opportunities to residents."

To view the full planning application 21/01213/COU click here.

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