A town centre car park has closed for good.

The 48-space Bench Street car park in Dover is being given up for a multimillion-pound regeneration of the area.

The Bench Street car park in Dover has closed for redevelopment

And the building replacing it could be constructed from the autumn once planning permission is granted.

The car park and buildings such as the Funky Monkey nightclub, already knocked down, are being replaced by a creative centre, business centre and creative campus under one roof.

This is an area bordered by Bench Street, Fishmongers Lane, Mill Lane and Townwall Street and is for a project called Dover Beacon.

A spokesman for Dover District Council said: “The Bench Street car park closed on Monday. It is being permanently closed as part of the comprehensive redevelopment of the site as the Dover Beacon.

“Ground investigations and archaeological investigations in the car park are due to take place from January.

An artist's impression of how the Dover Beacon building is set to look. Picture: Lee Evans Partnership

“A planning application for the Dover Beacon is expected in the first quarter of 2024.

“Once planning permission has been secured, we hope to start construction in the autumn.”

On the other side of Bench Street the four-storey building that had the Banksy mural, at No11, was completely knocked down in November.

That is separate from Dover Beacon and part of a wider town centre redevelopment by DDC.

That broader strategy includes improvements to the subway going under the A20 Townwall Street such as better CCTV and redecoration.

The combination of these projects add up to £25.4 million.

There are still other car parks near Bench Street, such as Albany Place, with 94 spaces, Stembrook, with 89 bays and Woolcomber Street with 62.

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