The specialist regeneration and investment developer has announced positive progress for the business park with 800,000 sq ft of warehouse and office accommodation.

The development will be located on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells in Kent and will feature landscaped parkland with a water feature. All planning matters have been addressed and the scheme is now only subject to outstanding Highways mitigation measures and the completion of the judicial and procedural review process.

The scheme is expected to cover 30 acres of green belt land and Scott Brownrigg architects have been tasked with landscaping the new business park to co-exist with ancient woodland.

A popular location
 

The Kingstanding project is just the latest in an explosion of warehouse developments in Kent, which this week was told to expect queues of 7,000 lorries and a new Kent Access Permit that will establish an inland border in the coastal county.

In July a prime location next to Bad Munstereifel road in Ashford with direct access to the M20 and Channel Tunnel appeared to be earmarked for Amazon. Goliath now seems the most likely occupiers of the planned distribution centre with excellent traffic links.

Meanwhile, in Medway, work on a £24m development has finally started after more than a decade of work being stalled. Location 3 Properties (L3P) took over the site from Sainsbury's and are expected to build eight units of 132,000 sq ft with builders warehouse firm Selco taking 30,000 sq ft of space.

All buildings will have high energy efficiency ratings with car parking spaces for 117 vehicles and 14 bays for HGVs.

Thriving business community
 

The Kingstanding project is expected to transform its site into a thriving business community just 3.5 miles from the centre of Tunbridge Wells. The flexible space will address the severe shortfall of office and industrial space in an area where supply outstrips demand and improve infrastructure in the immediate area. New occupiers will benefit from a range of essential amenities including a cafe.

U+I chief development officer Richard Upton said, "U+I is now a step closer to unlocking the potential in this unused greenbelt land just outside Tunbridge Wells town centre as a thriving new business destination and community space, with nature and wellbeing at its heart."

U+I and the site landowner are currently in detailed discussion with a potential occupier for a substantial part of the proposed scheme. Alongside the benefits of creating office and warehousing just 30 minutes from the M20, Kingstanding is designed to attract businesses from a wide range of backgrounds.

Purpose-built to be inspired by the outdoors and fit for the modern era, U+I claim the project will create over 4,000 new jobs in the local area and provide a significant stimulus to economic growth. 

With the Lower Thames Crossing set to transform the road network in the county, connecting it with Thurrock via a tunnel with twice the capacity of the Dartford Crossing, Kent can expect to see a bigger warehouse boom in the future.