Plans put forward by a young business owner to revitalise part of a high street that “doesn’t really offer anything” have been refused amid privacy concerns.

Abigail Adams, 22, had hoped to build a two-storey development on land next to her Capelli Hairdressers business in New Romney.

Her proposals – which included a cafe on the ground floor and a two-bedroom flat above – were designed to “offer something new” to the western end of the high street.

But Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) has now turned down the plans, citing concerns about the scale of the development and the impact on neighbouring properties.

Planning officers said the building’s size and design would be out of keeping with the surrounding area and “harmful to visual amenity”.

They also raised privacy concerns, with a proposed front-facing balcony potentially allowing direct views into the rear windows of nearby homes.

The decision comes as a blow to Ms Adams, who had hoped the new space would become a community hub, offering “wholesome, organic, healthier” food in a “relaxed setting”.

Speaking earlier this year, she said: “It needs a place for the community where you can just chill, eat and chat.

“We think it's quite important for a safe space and good food as well.

"Our end of the high street is quite limited and doesn't really offer anything.”

Ms Adams said the cafe would have complemented her existing hairdressing business – which has been a fixture on the high street for 40 years – allowing customers to enjoy a coffee before or after their appointments.

The proposed building had been designed to blend in with the town’s conservation area, using similar materials and set lower than the existing salon to reduce its visual impact.

Plans also included the creation of three parking spaces.

Ms Adams, who has run Capelli for the past three years, was eager to boost the quieter end of the high street, where she says options are limited compared to the busier eastern stretch.

"We’ve got a pub, a barber, a nail shop, and an Indian restaurant, but not much else,” she said in February.

“It would be nice to bring more people to this side of the high street."

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When contacted by KentOnline this week, Ms Adams did not want to comment on the refusal.

It is not yet clear whether she plans to revise the proposal or appeal the decision.