Plans to knock down a row of old shops and build a large apartment block in their place have been expanded.

Dartford council had already approved proposals for a mixed-used development consisting of 14 flats and retail space on the corner of Market Place and Market Street in the town centre.

The scheme was first granted planning permission in February 2022 and will see the demolition of existing shop units including the former home of one of the last family-run businesses in the area, “The Bacon Shop”, later a zero-waste food store.

Last week amendments to the plans were approved to expand the development from 14 flats to 23, to be spread over six floors with commercial space retained on the ground floor.

The development will be made up of 12 studio apartments, four one-bedroom properties and seven two-bedroom flats.

It will also see the design of the building block increase in height and width, with an enlargement to the fifth floor and an increase in size of the “plant enclosure” above it.

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The apartment block will mark the latest in a string of buildings erected close to Central Park in Dartford.

The area has undergone a huge regeneration over recent years including the building of hundreds of flats Lowfield Street, on land formerly owned by Tesco, as part of Bellway’s Copperhouse Green development.

Nearly £20 million has also been set aside to improve the overall layout and appearance of the town centre to make it cleaner, safer and more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly – but it is still years off completion owing to delays and extra costs incurred.

The project is being deliver in four phases with the main bulk of the work being funded via two government pots totalling £12 million, with the additional phases being supported by developer contributions and the council’s own funds.