Plans to transform a former seafront arcade site into an ambitious five-storey building have been approved five years after they were first proposed.

Neptune’s Amusements in Central Parade, Herne Bay, was bulldozed two years ago to make way for the complex comprising ground-floor shops and high-end flats.

But the bid was held up by the ongoing pollution issues at the Stodmarsh nature reserve, as Canterbury City Council worked through a backlog of planning applications.

Amid the delay and following the demolition of the unsightly building, the plot was levelled and used as an outdoor seating area for neighbouring businesses.

But now the developer has met strict planning criteria designed to help protect Stodmarsh, the city council formally approved the plans this week.

A planning officer says the development would be a similar scale to neighbouring buildings.

“Given the size and scale of the proposal, it is considered that it would not appear unduly cramped or represent an over-development of the site,” they wrote in a recent report.

“It is considered that the building has been designed such that the scale, proportions, height, fenestration and materials would successfully relate to the characteristics of neighbouring properties, whilst at the same time incorporating modern elements.”

Tucked between Captain Jack’s cocktail bar and the Herne Bay Angling Association, the arcade has been empty for years subject to lengthy discussions over its future.

In 2014, separate developers were given the green light to flatten the amusements to make way for a four-storey building, including three shops and 10 homes.

The plans never came to fruition, and in March 2020, the site was bought by Mile Property Group four months after it was advertised for £900,000 by Kent Estate Agencies.

The developer unveiled eye-catching plans for a five-storey building, with shops on the ground floor and 10 apartments above.

Planning permission took a while to be secured as the application was one of a number of projects stalled by the discovery of high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus at the Stodmarsh nature reserve on the outskirts of Canterbury.

Hassan Hassan, who owns the nearby Captain Jack’s cocktail bar and Makcari’s cafe, had been using the site as a seating area for both businesses.

“Good luck to the developer and hopefully we will have something nice there,” he said.

Speaking in 2020 when the plans were first unveiled, Mile Property Group director Michael Keckes vowed to demolish the arcade and “start from scratch”.

“The flats will be high-spec with a nice, modern design and more of a premium price tag,” he said.

“We haven’t fully decided on the use of the commercial space, but we’re looking to have upmarket tenants in there, perhaps Costa Coffee or something similar.”