Work to transform a high street building once home to Burton and Dorothy Perkins into a restaurant loved by the rich and famous is underway- despite not having planning permission.

Bosses of The Ivy - renowned for attracting celebrities such as Kate Moss, David Beckham and Tom Cruise to its London venues - have swooped in to save the Canterbury property after the retailers left in 2021.

According to a notice on the building, an extensive 21-week renovation, carried out by Nexus and Construction Safety Solutions and which began on April 15, will see the site prepped in anticipation of the arrival of the swanky restaurant.

A fit-out of the basement, ground and first floors of the site will be carried out with a kitchen and bars added.

Alongside this will be the heating, ventilation and air condition systems with plant – heavy machinery and large equipment – on the second floor and the flat roof.

However, a change of use planning application for the building, from retail into a restaurant is yet to be granted by Canterbury City Council (CCC)

The building falls into a conservation area, meaning external alterations, such as new windows and doors, require the council’s seal of approval.

However, as the building is not listed, internal works would not need to be vetted by officers.

Regardless, as a precaution CCC is sending an officer to check the works are compliant.

The arrival of The Ivy - where The Ivy burger costs £16.95 and lobster linguine £34.95 - would be a dramatic change for the prominent building.

Since Burton and Dorothy Perkins closed, the ground floor has played host to a series of pop-up shops and smaller businesses, with many residents complaining it has become a city centre eyesore.

Earlier this month, KentOnline revealed how a premises licence application for the building on the corner of Rose Lane and The Parade had been submitted to the city council.

Still to be determined, the new venue would be open from 8am to 12.30am seven days a week, with alcohol served from 10am to midnight if given the green light by CCC officers.

The licence bid includes a request for late-night refreshments to be available inside and outdoors between 11am and midnight.

It comes after plans were lodged last year to convert the upper two storeys of the building into a restaurant catering for more than 300 people, with a rooftop terrace.

The proposals, which have yet to be decided upon by Canterbury City Council, also included three new retail units on the ground floor, some of which are currently being offered out by chartered surveyors Smith Price RRG.

First opening in 1917 in London’s West End, the Ivy now has 40 locations across Great Britain and Ireland, with new chains coming under the Ivy Collection name.

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The Canterbury branch would be the second in Kent, with one already established in Tunbridge Wells.

The Canterbury building was acquired by Arora Family through Sloane Realty, a subsidiary of the firm, in February 2021 for about £2.15 million.

Both The Ivy and Arora Family have been contacted for comment.