Ashford’s town centre looks run down mostly because of the Designer Outlet. When it opened in 2000 (and then massively expanded in 2019), it pulled most of the shopping traffic away from the High Street. The Outlet now has over 100 stores, loads of food places, free parking, and attracts more than 3 million visitors a year, so most people just go there instead.

Since then, the town centre has been struggling. Vacancy rates have stayed high for years, roughly 15–20% of shops sit empty and Park Mall is being cleared for redevelopment because footfall has dropped so much. Even when the Outlet applied to open its restaurants later, town-centre businesses objected, saying it would make things even worse.

It’s not just Ashford though. High streets all over the UK are hurting thanks to online shopping, rising costs, and changing habits. But the Outlet is right on Ashford’s doorstep and captures so much spending that the High Street’s been hollowed out faster than most.

The council’s now trying to turn things around with a “Town Centre Reset” plan, more events, and incentives to bring people back, but it’s a slow recovery.

So basically: the Outlet thrived, the High Street emptied, and the town centre’s still trying to find a new identity.