Kentish Express Ashford & District
Pottery firm throws down plans for expansion land
Hope more jobs could be created as ‘success story’ grows on
A garden pottery firm has announced plans for a multi-million pound warehouse to help the business continue to grow.
Vatre Terracotta has submitted its plans to the council for the new site at Tutt Hill, opposite the Holiday Inn hotel, on the A20 near Hothfield.
The company is part of the Apta pottery brand, and supplies products to more than 1,000 garden centres in the UK and Ireland, as well as being an exclusive supplier to the Royal Horticultural Society.
Managing director Paul Sykes says the company has spent two years looking for new properties away from its head office and distribution centre in Dencora Way and Leacon Road near Ashford town centre.
He said that, if approved, the £3.5 million warehouse would safeguard 30 jobs and would take over the six-acre site owned by Oakover Nurseries, allowing the company to expand. Brian Fraser, left, of Oakover Nurseries and Vatre managing director Paul Sykes
Mr Sykes said: “We are an Ashford success story but, as we have grown, we’ve had to lease adjacent buildings, which is an expensive solution and is not sustainable in the long term.
“In recent years we have made the difficult decision to decline several opportunities because we simply weren’t in a position to compete properly from our cur- rent location. We just can’t tender for that sort of business due to lack of space at our premises, but with a move to a bigger site we can invest in expansion and that will lead to more jobs and prosperity.
“The A20 site is big enough for us to expand. It’s got excellent vehicle access and is convenient for the M20 and for our imports TerracOTTa arMy
Vatre Terracotta has been based in Ashford for more than 30 years, and occupies sites in Dencora Way and Leacon Road.
In 2009 turnover was £6 million. Last year the company reported a turnover of £13.5 million.
The Apta pottery brand employs 86 staff nationwide, 32 of them in Ashford. by road from Europe. It’s also within easy reach of Ashford so our existing workforce will have good access, and, above all, it’s affordable.
“Tutt Hill is very important to our future in Ashford because if our planning application is successful it will allow us to remain in the town for the foreseeable future.”
A decision on the planning application is expected by December this year.