Two dilapidated old shops in a town centre are set to be demolished to make way for a three-storey block of flats. The former Varley Electrical business, in Chatham, is thought to be the only remaining weatherboarded property in the High Street. In the past, planners have been reluctant to allow it to be destroyed because of its historic significance. It is now Tulip Fruit and Veg, a Mediterranean produce outlet. The neighbouring former AF Smith hardware store, which opened in 1906 and traded for more than 100 years, has remained unoccupied in recent years. The architects behind the scheme ear…
