KocoWorld soft play to open in County Square shopping centre, Ashford

A new space-themed soft play is set to open in a shopping centre.

KocoWorld is moving into the former Kids Stuff toy shop in County Square, Ashford.

It is expected to welcome little ones soon, but an opening date has not yet been confirmed.

Bosses say the site, which will be open for children up to 11 years old, will provide a “place for little astronauts to explore”.

The unit is on the ground floor of the County Square extension next to the town’s former Debenhams store.

It was home to an NHS blood plasma centre during the pandemic following the closure of Kids Stuff in 2018.

KentOnline revealed last year how the centre’s £60m extension, which already features a small play area run by County Square, could be turned into 200 homes.

The centre’s owners put the site forward in a ‘call for sites’ planning process led by ABC to identify suitable building plots.

It remains unclear exactly what the scheme will involve, but Q+A Planning Ltd, which put together the plan, says it is “being promoted for a mixed-use development”.

There is already a kids’ indoor soft play in the town centre - Little Land in Park Mall.

The business is one of many which will be forced to close or relocate when the centre is knocked down early next year.

Site owner Ashford Borough Council is replacing the centre and adjoining Edinburgh Road multi-storey with an interim surface-level car park, while plans to build flats on the land remain in the pipeline.