Kentish Express Ashford & District
Developer wants to build 500 homes
Developers have unveiled plans to build hundreds of new homes and new retail stores on land to the east of Ashford.
GSE Waterbrook Ltd has asked Ashford Borough Council for a scoping opinion about its plan to build up to 500 homes.
The housing estate would be accessed via Waterbrook Avenue, and would also be linked to the new housing estate at Finberry, where 1,100 homes are being built.
The company wants to build a headquarters at the site, and create room for Jaguar Land Rover and other retailers to move in.
It would also see the demolition of the rail freight depot and the overnight truck stop.
A new truck stop would be built near to the railway line which would be treble the size of the current facility.
Meanwhile Bellway Homes wants to build up to 207 homes on a 24-acre site near the William Harvey Hospital, with access via the A20 Hythe Road and Hinxhill Road.
The land has been earmarked by Ashford Borough Council for development and if approved it will be called Willesborough Green.
It would contain up to 36 one and two-bedroom flats, 48 twobedroom houses, 76 three-bed- room homes, 55 four-bedroom and 25 five-bedroom homes.
Bellway says the aim of the development is to create an “integrated and sustainable neighbourhood” that will also contain a green corridor for cyclists and pedestrians to access the site.
The main road junction will be created on the A20 Hythe Road, past the roundabout for the Tesco Crooksfoot store.
The council is also considering a full planning application for giant new warehouses at Sevington to the north of the Waterbrook site.
To find out more about the applications visit Ashford Borough Council’s planning section online at www.ashford. gov.uk
What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk