The demolition of several dilapidated buildings is finally due to start, paving the way for a seafront redevelopment to begin.

The removal of five structures will take part in two phases with the first three being removed from Beach Street in Herne Bay next month.

Council bosses behind the scheme - set to be worth £9 million when complete - say the project will now start in early April, having initially been scheduled for last spring.

The second stage will include knocking down the old Tivoli amusements site in Central Parade - a long-term eyesore on the town’s landscape.

It was taken over by Canterbury City Council as part of the regeneration project, which was granted planning approval in 2019.

Plans have previously suffered delays but with approximately £550,000 secured by the authority via a government grant, the existing buildings can be demolished and prepare the site to be built on in the future.

Deputy leader of the council Michael Dixey (Lib Dem) is glad work is now finally getting underway.

He said: “We are pleased to have progressed this project to the point at which local people will now see activity taking place on the ground, following a lot of hard work behind the scenes over the last year or so.

“The successful bid for government funding to pay for the demolition means we are not spending any council taxpayers’ money as we get the site into a position where we can take the final decision on how this scheme will be built.”

Planning permission has already been granted to erect 33 homes and three shops on the plot, which includes the Beach Street car park behind.

Originally, the city council had hoped to pursue the scheme itself, even purchasing Tivoli amusements for £1.1 million, six years ago.

After the fate of the derelict half of the Edwardian house on Central Parade in Herne Bay is confirmed, it must then be decided how the site as a whole will be developed, with councillors set to consider one of three options.

These include the city council joining with a development partner and taking on the scheme itself or selling the land to a developer.

No timescale has been set for when a decision will be made about how the overall project will progress or when any construction will begin.

On-street parking in Beach Street will be suspended during the works, which are being undertaken by Goody Demolition.

Cabinet member for coastal towns, Cllr Chris Cornell (Lab), added: “This is a significant moment for regeneration plans at this key seafront location and we are sure residents will welcome the start of work.

“This has been a tired-looking area of the town for too long and we are very keen to revitalise it with a new development that brings in families and provides a boost to the local economy.”

The funding for the demolition comes from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2, which is a scheme open to all English councils and targets small council-owned sites where viability has prevented development.

Council chiefs had initially hoped the Tivoli and Beach Street scheme would fit alongside their bid to the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

In January 2023, the council’s first bid for £14.6m was rejected before hopes were dashed again in December when the council was told it would not be able to make a renewed bid in a later round.