Business park plans for ‘employment space’ land

Clothing and hardware shop also aims for move from town centre

Developers have submitted formal applications to councillors to build new warehouses, offices and shops on farmland on the outskirts of Ashford.

Proposals for 160,000 sq metres of employment floorspace have been outlined for the site in Sevington.

It has long been rumoured that Amazon has expressed interest in setting up a distribution centre at the planned business park put forward by AXA Real Estate Investment Management and DMI Properties although nothing has been confirmed.

A separate full application for part of the same land proposes relocating country clothing and hardware retailer Kent Wool Growers to a new premises.

The shop would move from its base in Tannery Lane in the town centre to a new 5,239 sq m building, of which 873.7 sq m would be retail space.

The farmland to the north of Highfield Lane, behind St Mary’s Church, has been earmarked for employment space as part of the council’s local plan, outlining development goals to be reached by 2030.

Last year, developers AXA Real Estate Investment Management and DMI Properties submitted initial plans for a warehouse on the site with an alternative to junction 10a, providing slip roads off the London-bound carriageway of the M20 and on to the coastbound side.

However, the junction 10a scheme will now be carried forward by the Highways Agency in a separate application. No reference is made to it in either proposal submitted to Ashford council this month.

A public consultation has begun, giving people in the area the chance to submit their views on both applications via the Ashford council website.

No date has been set so far for the applications to be put before the council’s planning committee.

To view the submissions, visit planning.ashford.gov.uk, entering applications 14/00906/AS for the whole site and 14/00910/ AS for the Kent Wool Growers development.

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

Picture: Gary Browne FM2288856 The farmland in Sevington for which the application has been submitted