A senior city councillor fears “dreadful” plans for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) at the site of a former cafe will drag the area down.

Michael Dixey says a “totally unsuitable” proposal for the closed Boho Cafe Bar in Canterbury would be “out of keeping with the historic area”.

The High Street business closed four years ago after struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.

The Grade II-listed building was previously owned by the historic Eastbridge Hospital Trust, which sold it at auction in November 2022 for £400,000.

Boho went on the market again last year and was sold at its guide price of £350,000.

Now, a planning application has been submitted to Canterbury City Council to convert the first and second floors into an HMO, while the ground floor would stay as a cafe, under the name Chiya.

The ground floor and first floor were previously used as a cafe by Boho, while the second is currently a flat.

Property cabinet member Cllr Michael Dixey slammed the plans as he fears an HMO would be ill-suited for the area.

“It is just dreadful and is totally unsuitable for an HMO,” the Liberal Democrat said.

“It is a historic listed building in the heart of our city.

“Its current owners have let the building deteriorate and it is an absolute blot on the high street.

“It goes against everything we are trying to do in this city with trying to improve the shopfronts, which has a lot of support.”

Councillors launched a crackdown on businesses which have been criticised as being too garish or out of keeping with the area.

The local authority revealed in July it had issued 22 enforcement notices to businesses in the Burgate, Sun Street, St Dunstan’s Street and North Lane areas.

The council said the shops are in listed buildings and have been altered without permission.

Cllr Dixey added: “If you look at the HMOs in the district, they do not make the area attractive and tend to be pretty rundown with a lot of litter around them.

“It is out of keeping with this historic area.

“Flats are fine but there is a world of difference between them and HMOs.

“I cannot see how changing it from a flat to an HMO would rejuvenate the area – it would just drag it down.”

Boho Cafe Bar, which was a popular eatery and music venue, closed in July 2020 after being hit hard by lockdowns during the pandemic.

It had been a fixture on the high street, with one supporter describing it as “part of the furniture”.

The proposal involves the conversion of the first and second floors as a HMO with three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen.

It also includes replacing the signage on the shop front concerning the new cafe, Chiya.

One projecting sign will also be installed alongside the name.

Minimal details have been released about the plans for the cafe, as a change-of-use planning application is not required.

Setting out their case in planning documents, the applicant, states: “The proposed change of use will not involve any major internal changes to existing structures.

“It will only include the addition of doors, furniture, appliances, light fittings, etc, so the proposed change of use of the first and second floor as HMO will not alter or change the appearance of the building.

“The renaming, repainting and installation of small signage will freshen up the existing poor condition of the shopfront and will not be detrimental to the listed building or the conservation area.”