‘Derelict’ GP surgery set for £400k conversion into five-bed council home

An abandoned GP surgery is set to be turned into a five-bed council home in a much-delayed £400,000 project. Stanhope Surgery in Ashford closed in 2018 after inspectors found it “fell significantly short” of building standards. But Ashford Borough Council (ABC) is now tendering a contract for a private firm to convert the property, which it says will be used by a “large family” currently on its housing waiting list.

Plans to overhaul the Kilndown Road building were originally approved by the authority’s planning committee in October 2022. First built as a family home, the site was converted into a doctors’ surgery in 1983 and treated patients for more than 30 years. However, there has been no change at the site since ABC granted permission to turn it back into a home in 2022, and the structure still sits empty.



The authority, which is run by an Ashford Independents/Green Party coalition, says the project could not proceed due to pollution issues with the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve near Canterbury . The protected beauty spot has been affected by wastewater run-off from developments across east Kent causing high levels of harmful nitrate and phosphate nutrients. As a result, rules set down by Natural England insist developers must ensure all schemes in the River Stour catchment area are “nutrient neutral” - either by having an on-site water treatment facility or offsetting the impact by providing mitigation measures elsewhere, such as wetlands.

But an ABC spokesman said the scheme, which includes a two-bed extension, now has planning consent as “issues surrounding nutrient neutrality are starting to be resolved”. They said the authority bought the house through its ‘on-street purchasing programme’ - a £15m scheme set up in 2019 to buy properties to meet affordable housing needs. “We have more than 1,800 families on our housing waiting list and about 240 families needing temporary accommodation, so we are continuously looking at many different ways to add more homes to the council’s stock to alleviate the pressing demand in our local community,” they added.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal . Cllr Brendan Chilton (Lab), who represents Stanhope on ABC, said he welcomes the project. “When it came to the committee I supported it – I’m glad they're finally getting on with it, it’s been a while,” he said.

“It’s been standing there derelict for some time. “I hope it gives a family a good home, and let’s hope the council increases its on-street purchasing and reduces our housing register.” The contract - worth an estimated £400,000 - is open to bidders until April 28.

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