Kent’s biggest shopping center is planning to install a Christmas grotto.

Bluewater shopping center has applied to Dartford council for permission to build the festival attraction and use its ice rink for another five years.

Blueco, owner of the massive shopping center in Greenhithe, appointed planning consultants Quod to obtain permission from the local authority.

If approved, the Christmas grotto attraction would be located outside near the ice rink.

“The Christmas grotto consists of a single-storey, traditional-style wooden building,” planning documents explain.

“The structure will be constructed of prefabricated cabins with metal frames and weather-resistant texture-coated plywood.

“The cave will be located on the artificial turf surface and will contain three main rooms.”

However, a Bluewater spokesperson confirmed that the cave will not be built and opened this year, but will instead open the following year if given the green light.

This year, they will instead host a Christmas grotto they call the “Elf on the Shelf Christmas adventure” in one of the units at the mall.

The ice rink is already installed and will open from November 12 to January 5.

However, according to these plans, the structure will remain in place until 2029 and will host the ice rink from October to January every year.

It is stated that the ice rink marquee will also be used for “Beauty events, job fairs, Dartford council awards and wedding fairs”.

Planning documents emphasize that the proposals “will not impact existing access” to the shopping centre.

House of Fraser, one of the hulking commercial complex’s original anchor stores, recently announced details of the store’s closure, rumored to be on November 27th.

The store, which occupies a large unit on both floors of the out-of-town shopping centre, is offering a 20% discount for clearing the shop before that date.

The corner spot is an excellent location offering foot traffic from the car park to the centre, and there are rumors that clothing giant Next, just a few doors away, will be taking over the site.

Outerwear brand Belstaff will open a store in the center on October 24, and cosmetics brand Aesop will open a store in Bluewater on November 16.

Swedish fashion brand Lindex will also move in on November 28.

Bluewater center manager James Waugh previously said: “We’re about to enter one of the busiest and most exciting times in Bluewater’s 25-year history, with other fantastic brands soon to follow these openings.”

A number of additional pop-up shops have opened as the festive season approaches, including the Christmas Supermarket and Calendar Club.

We are about to enter one of the busiest and most exciting times in Bluewater’s 25-year history.

A spokesperson for the shopping center said: “Bluewater’s ice rink has been a much-loved festive addition to the shopping center for many years and we look forward to welcoming it back this November.

“The planning submission in question is a renewal of a planning permission granted by Dartford Council in previous years.

“The cave structure mentioned in the planning submission is an attraction we hope to bring to Bluewater in the coming years.

“This Christmas, our guests can look forward to the Elf on the Shelf Christmas Adventure, a never-before-seen interactive, theatrical experience, with tickets now on sale.

“This attraction will be located in the Upper Rose Gallery next to River Island.”

Dartford council is consulting on the plans and residents will be able to comment on the application until November 7.

It is not yet known when the planning committee will decide on the tender, but a target has been set for December 11.