The ghost town of empty shops at the end of a Dartford street is to get a facelift with graffiti artists this summer.

Hoardings around the stretch of closed down shops in Lowfield Street between Market Street and Instone Road will be spray-painted.

News Shopper:
'It’s just different coloured buildings with pictures on it at the end of the day.'

In January last year the retail giant announced it was pulling out of a deal to build a mega store after 12 years of stalling its development leaving the buildings hollow.

Speaking about the plans for street art Osman Hussein, manager of Dartford Dry Cleaning based opposite the hollow row of buildings, said: “There’s no progress really is there?

“You’re just painting over the cracks.

“It’s just different coloured buildings with pictures on it at the end of the day. You’re paying someone for nothing.

“We still feel let down by the council and we’re still waiting for development.

“It’s six months then another six months and another six months and they have being doing that for the last 12 years.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.

“If they need to flatten it and make it open park space or create car parks or a complex of housing it needs to be developed.

"We need something, anything started.”

News Shopper:
Osman Hussein, manager of Dartford Dry Cleaning

Tesco was set to build on the site at 26 to 142 Lowfield Street with planning permission for an 8,000sq m store and 34 one-bed and 73 two-bed flats secured.

The designs were first mooted in 2002 but the shopping chain announced it was closing 43 unprofitable stores across the UK and shelving plans to build a further 49 new “very large” stores – including Lowfield Street and Albion Road in Bexleyheath.

News Shopper:
Tesco was set to build on the site at 26 to 142 Lowfield Street

The fund management firm Meyer Homes purchased the area in October last year but the council has confirmed that no plans have been formally submitted. 

In the meantime, the art works will be carried out by Dartford Arts Network with the final mural installation going up on June 20.

Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite said: “No one can deny that Lowfield Street has been left in a dreadful state by its former owners but there’s now light at the end of the tunnel with a new owner who seem to be moving at a faster pace to deliver something and are more keen to engage with local people.

“Hoardings around a development site are a fact of life and whilst some might say we might drawing attention to an unattractive site close to our great park, I actually think people will appreciate the huge amount of artistic talent we have.”