Skills advice

Helping your company make the most of the education and skills system in Kent

We have the skills to help you grow further

Locate in Kent are committed to nurturing the growth of Kent based businesses. Our specialist business skills advice service aims to help you make sense of the somewhat complex and ever-changing local recruitment, education and skills system.

Our team have helped 1,106 businesses grow in Kent. Our Skills Advice service helps us to identify your specific training and recruitment needs, connect you with the right organisations and help deliver the talent you need to support your continued growth.

Recruitment Organisations

We work closely with a number of Kent and Medway-based recruitment companies, search and selection consultants, local authority welfare-to-work and supported employment schemes to help you find the right talent for your workforce.

Schools, Further Education and Universities

We provide connections to a pool of highly-skilled staff and trainees through our extensive network of well-respected Further Education colleges, offering a range of 16-18 education and training, apprenticeships, higher education and adult learning programmes.

We can provide your business access to Kent’s academic experts, professional education courses, graduate recruitment and internships, research and innovation, and higher and degree apprenticeships through our four local universities.

Kent Association of Training Organisations

We can introduce you to over 60 members, including local and national organisations, private and public sector, offering apprenticeships, work-based training and business training.

National Networks

We can provide access to national recruitment and training specialist providers through our national networks and links to the Department for International Trade.

Use our interactive map to explore Kent's education and skills key locations

Crossways

Dartford

Used for offices and light industry.

Crossways Business Park is one of the largest business parks on the M25, providing a newly built Grade A office building up to 47,000 sq ft.

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Eclipse Business Park

Maidstone

Used for shops & retail, offices, and hotels.

Conveniently located on junction 5 of the M20, Eclipse Business Park is Maidstone’s most modern mixed office and retail campus spaced over 16 acres.

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Kings Hill

Maidstone

Used for shops & retail, offices, leisure and residential.

Situated on a former RAF airfield in the Kentish countryside, Kings Hill is the perfect community to live, work and play.

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London Thamesport

Rochester

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

London Thamesport is one of the UK’s busiest automated container ports, located at the mouth of the River Medway.

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Queenborough/ Rushenden & Neats Court

Isle of Sheppey

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

A 18 hectare, mixed commercial business park, part of the Thames Gateway Partnership.

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G Park

Sittingbourne

Used for offices, light industry, warehouses and distribution.

Space for self-contained distribution warehouse facilities over a 540,000 sq ft campus.

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Eurolink Business Park

Sittingbourne

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

The Eurolink Business Park is one of Kent’s largest business parks. Further investment is being put into Eurolink East Five, providing an extra 28 acres of development land.

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Joseph Wilson Industrial Estate

Whitstable

Joseph Wilson Industrial Estate houses light industrial and office space with plans to extend the park by another 9 acres.

New 2.5 hectares extension with scope to provide up to 3,000m2 of office and light industrial and distribution floorspace.

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Altira Business Park

Herne Bay

6 hectares of land remaining for development with potential for development of 26,000m2 of new office and light industrial, distribution and warehousing and hotels.

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Manston Business Park

Ramsgate

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

Steel portal frame warehouses with B1, B2 and B8 uses and three storey office accommodation.

 

Betteshanger Business Park

Deal

Used for offices and light industrial.

Betteshanger Business Park is a future-planned low carbon and sustainable business and education park, designed to suit specialist business sectors including food security, environmental technology, life sciences (including agri-tech) and green technologies.

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Canterbury Business Park/ Highland Court

Canterbury

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

The new development will feature 300 holiday homes, a 150 unit retirement village alongside a business park and innovation centre.

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White Cliffs Business Park

Dover

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

Close to the Port of Dover, White Cliffs Business Park is in an ideal industrial location with design and build opportunities available for distribution, manufacturing, warehousing and business users.

Link Park

Hythe

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

Conveniently located just off the M20, Link Park is set across 24 acres, with plans to extend to 57 acres for additional industrial and warehouse development.

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Stour Park

Ashford

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

Planning for Stour Park is underway. A range of warehouse, industrial and office space is set to be built across 160,000 sq m of land neighbouring the M20.

Orbital Park

Ashford

Used for offices, light industry, general industrial, warehouses & distribution and trade.

Less than a mile from the M20, Orbital park is home to a range of automotive and trade industry businesses and offers units up to 25,108 sq ft.

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Commercial Quarter

Ashford

Used for offices & light industry.

Ashford’s Commercial Quarter will be situated in the busy town centre and provide 60,000 sq ft of grade ‘A’ office space and ground floor retail space.

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ProLogis Park

Dartford

Used for general industrial, warehouses and distribution.

ProLogis Park offers flexible, high quality, sustainable logistics and industrial buildings covering 47,000 sq ft.

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Northfleet Embankment

Northfleet

Mixed use complex.

An outline planning application for Northfleet Embankment West has been submitted. The application includes up to 532 homes, 48,000sq m of employment floorspace, 850sq m for local shops and services and 1,000sq m for a health centre.

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Chatham Centre and Waterfront

Chatham

Used for shops & retail, offices, light industry and hotels.

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Dane Park

Faversham

Quinn Estates is the South East’s foremost mixed-use developer with an exceptionally strong track record in obtaining planning consent on strategic and brownfield sites.

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Cockering Farm/Thanington Park

Canterbury

Located just outside the beautiful city centre of Canterbury, Cockering Farm/Thanington Park is a new strategic site comprising 400 homes, business park (3,700m2), community facilities and A2 off slip.

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Herne Bay Sports Hub

Herne Bay

A redevelopment of the former Herne Bay Golf Club.

Herne Bay Sports Club will offer a range of leisure facilities, new housing and commercial space for new businesses.

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Mountfield Park

Canterbury

Strategic site comprising 4,000 homes, 70,000m2 of employment floorspace, new A2 junction, 1,000 space Park and Ride, new schools and local health services, shops, open space, woodland.

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Ashford Retail Park

Ashford

Used for shops & retail, offices and light industry.

Otterpool Park

Folkestone

Otterpool Park will provide commercial and residential space to the Folkestone community. The development will offer quality space and infrastructure to any sized business to set up or expand.

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Martello Lakes

Hythe

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

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Terlingham Village and Enterprise Park

Hawkinge

Used for offices & light industrial, warehousing & distribution.

Terlingham Rise and Terlingham Gardens residential developments with enterprise park.

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Port of Dover

Dover

The Dover Western Docks Revival will introduce a new marina pier and curve that will provide space for a community of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants, attracting more footfall to Dover’s unique backdrop of the harbour, cliffs and castle.

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Stone Hill Park

Ramsgate

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

To be built on the old Manston Airport site, the Stone Hill Park settlement will provide new housing for the Thanet district, as well as deliver thousands of new jobs.

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EuroKent Business Park

Ramsgate

Used for shops & retail, offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution and leisure.

EuroKent Business Park is a 100 acre mixed use business and commercial development.

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Folkestone Harbour

Folkestone

Folkestone Harbour seafront quarter will be a place to live, work, visit and play.

A grouping of shops, cafés, bars and restaurants, public spaces, sports and recreation amenities will be built around the restored harbour and renovated station, with the scope for up to 1000 homes.

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Ebbsfleet Valley

Ebbsfleet

Used for shops & retail, offices, light industry, leisure and residential.

Ebbsfleet Valley is an exciting urban regeneration project spread over a 17 million sq ft campus providing up to 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, just 17 minutes from London.

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Ebbsfleet Valley

Ebbsfleet

Used for shops & retail, offices, light industry, leisure and residential.

Ebbsfleet Valley is an exciting urban regeneration project spread over a 17 million sq ft campus providing up to 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, just 17 minutes from London.

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Sittingbourne Town Centre

Sittingbourne

A busy town centre offering a range of facilities and business opportunities including retail, office space, hotels, education and leisure.

The Spirit of Sittingbourne development plan can be seen below.

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Chatham Waters

Chatham

Used for shops & retail, offices, light industry, general industry, hotels, education, and leisure

An extensive and diverse regeneration project of Chatham Docks.

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The Bridge

Dartford

Used for offices, light industry, warehouses and distribution.

The Bridge is a mixed-use business and innovation park offering flexible office space to serve industrial, science and technology based industries in the Thames Gateway.

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Capacity Dartford

Dartford

Used for general industrial, warehouses and distribution.

A 10 acre industrial site accomodating warehouse units in a well estabilished and connected business location.

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London Medway Commercial Park

Rochester

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

A commercial park set on 112 acres of land with planning consent to provide business space to a range of industries.

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Port of Sheerness

Isle of Sheppey

Used for general industrial, warehouses and distribution.

Located in close proximity to the capital, the Port of Sheerness is in an ideal location for logistics and distribution industries.

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Kent Science Park

Sittingbourne

Used for offices and light industry.

Kent Science Park is a national centre of excellence for science, manufacturing and business.

Recently awarded Best Life Science Research Facility in South East England.

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Discovery Park

Sandwich

Discovery Park is Europe’s leading science and technology park and is based in Sandwich, Kent.

The site is identified as an Enterprise Zone, and it has grown to be a thriving part of the South East’s life science community as a multi-business science park.

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Kent Medical Campus

Maidstone

Used for shops & retail, offices, light industry and education.

Set to become a home for ground-breaking scientific research and innovation, Kent Medical Campus will be a fully integrated centre of excellence for health, science and education.

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Chatham Maritime

Chatham

Used for shops & retail, offices, hotels and leisure.

The Chatham Maritime Trust is one of the country’s major urban regeneration sites.

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Access Park

Aylesford

Used for offices, light industry, general industry, warehouses and distribution.

This park provides a number of warehouse/industrial/distribution space strategically located at Junction 4 of the M20.

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Eureka Business Park

Ashford

Used for offices and light industry.

Covering 96 acres, Eureka Business Park is a major business park in Ashford offering prime office development space, just off junction 9 of the M20.

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Rochester Airport

Rochester

Used for offices, light industry, general industrial and warehouses & distribution.

The Rochester Airport industrial estate houses a mix of office and warehouse space, with the potential to create up to 1,000 new skilled job positions.

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Panatonni

Aylesford

Panattoni Park Aylesford is the largest available opportunity serving London and the Channel ports with 1.9 million sq ft of flexible grade-A industrial and logistics space and up to 1.2 million sq ft available as a single unit.

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Waterbrook Park

Ashford

Used for offices, light industry, general industrial, and warehouses.

Waterbrook Park is less than 500m from junction 10 of the M20 and is set to offer a range of commercial developments and offices for businesses in a range of sectors.

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North Kent College

Dartford

North Kent College offers a full range of courses from full-time and part-time, to degree level and apprenticeships

 

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Panorama Crossways

Dartford

Used for offices and light industry.

A new development of industrial/ warehouse units extended from Crossways Business Park. The parks are strategically placed at the QE11 Bridge, adjacent to the M25 London and with easy access to M20 for the Channel Tunnel opening trading opportunities and entry into Europe.

 

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West Kent College

Tonbridge

Boasting leading-edge facilities, West Kent College offers numerous courses and qualifications up-to degree-level programmes.

 

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Hadlow College

Hadlow

Hadlow College is an award-winning Further and Higher Education centre specialising in land-based courses for a range of sectors including the agricultural industry.

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Bluewater Learning Shop, Retail

Dartford

The Learning Shop is the only centre of its kind in the North Kent region, delivering a wide range of services; including professional World Class training, development, recruitment and business solutions

 

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Mid-Kent College

Maidstone

As one of the largest further education and training providers in the South East, Mid-Kent College offers an extensive range of learning and training services.

 

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Canterbury & East Kent College

Folkestone

With the college prioritsing growth industries it has made it highly successful in attracting major government funding for new campus developments and the College now has some of the best facilities in Kent.

 

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Canterbury Christ Church University

Tunbridge Wells
For more than 50 years, Canterbury Christ Church University has been a big part of the Kent community, providing education to Kent’s future workforce.

 

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Canterbury & East Kent College

Dover

Canterbury & East Kent College’s curriculum is relevant to the skills and training needs required by businesses in East Kent.

 

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Canterbury & East Kent College

Discovery Park

Over the last few years, the College has implemented significant changes and a new curriculum which is relevant to East Kent’s skills and training needs.

 

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North Kent College

Gravesend

North Kent College offers an extensive range of short courses that stem from their main curriculum areas. Aiming to offer courses and training, which will enable you to develop professionally

 

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Canterbury Christ Church University

Medway
Whether you have just left school or college, thinking of joining after a long time out of education, or want to develop in your career, Medway Campus will give you the support, encouragement and expertise to help you succeed.

 

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Canterbury Christ Church University

Medway

Whether you have just left school or college, thinking of joining after a long time out of education, or want to develop in your career, Medway Campus will give you the support, encouragement and expertise to help you succeed.

 

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National Maritime Training

North Kent College

The National Maritime Training Centre is a leading provider of maritime education and practical training, providing up to date equipment and expert training using dedicated specialist classrooms.

 

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Canterbury & East Kent College

Dover

With a range of HNC and HND qualifications that a relevant to the employment needs of the area, allowing students to progress to degree-level study at the University, or use their qualifications in the world of work.

 

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Canterbury Christ Church University

Dover

Canterbury Christ Church University has a long established partnership with East Kent College with the joint belief in the transformative power of education.

 

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Hadlow College

Dover
Hadlow College offer a large range of courses to suit the needs of many different students, specialising in both further and higher education.

 

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Canterbury Christ Church University

Canterbury

Based in the diverse and beautiful city of Canterbury, Christ Church University is consistently investing into student facilities to better the learning process.

 

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University of Kent

Canterbury

The University of Kent is self contained campus with a wide variety of facilities, only 25 minutes walk from the city centre. Allowing Postgraduate and Undergraduate courses

 

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University for the Creative Arts

Canterbury

UCA Canterbury is based in the busy, historic student city of Canterbury, benefiting from easy access to local exhibition projects and spaces as part of Kent’s vibrant international art scene.

 

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Canterbury & East Kent College

Canterbury

One of the South East’s largest colleges, with more than 5,000 students and hundreds of qualifications.

 

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Hadlow College

Canterbury

 Hadlow College Canterbury Campus, provides all the courses that the main Tonbridge site offers, based in a massive two-hectre site with all the same outstanding facilities

 

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EDGE Hub (Engineering, Design, Growth & Enterprise)

Canterbury

KM EDGE Hub is an ambitious and far reaching initiative, designed to unlock regional economic growth and employment in engineering, science and technology sectors.

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Hadlow College

Medway

With campuses all over Kent you can access a hadlow college from all over Kent, with a high standard of facilities throughout each campus

 

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University of Greenwich

Medway

University of Greenwich Medway Campus is home to the Faculty of Engineering and Science, and also hosts programmes from the Faculty of Education and Health.

 

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Mid-Kent College

Medway

Whether you have just left school, are thinking about a change in career, or simply want to develop your skills, Medway Campus is a fun and rewarding experience.

 

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NRI (National Resources Institute)

Medway

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich is a unique multi-disciplinary centre of excellence. Providing high quality research, advice and training for global food security, sustainable development and poverty reduction.

 

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University for the Creative Arts

Medway

The purpose built campus looks over the river Medway, being a creative hub for students studying fashion, photography, product design and digital animation.

 

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University of Kent

Medway

The Medway campus at Chatham Maritime is a vibrant mixture of modern and historic buildings. Investing significantly in bespoke facilities for academic schools in The Historic Dockyard Chatham

 

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The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology

Medway

The Wolfson Centre offers consultancy, research and short courses for industries that handle powder or granular materials as part of their processes.

 

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Ashford College

Ashford College, offers a range of courses designed for pupils in Year 11 looking to leave school, as well as those looking to change career or learn new skills.

 

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Abbey Court

Sandling, Maidstone

The proposed industrial park has been put forward by BJF Connections, the current owners and occupiers of the land at Abbey Court.

Cheriton Parc

Folkestone

Motis Business Centre situated on Cheriton Parc will provide a high quality business park environment with both office and leisure facilities. Nearby occupiers include Holiday Inn Express, Saga PLC and Tesco with development due on the adjacent land.

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East Malling Adv Tech Horticultural Zone

Tonbridge

Tonbrige & Malling Borough Council has given the go-ahead for what’s known as the ‘advanced technology horticultural zone’ – a sprawling scheme which will see four state-of-the-art glasshouses, energy centre and other facilities constructed at the site.

Innovation Park Medway

Rochester

Innovation Park Medway offers high-value technology, engineering, manufacturing and knowledge-intensive businesses the opportunity to grow in a bespoke commercial development with a collaborative business environment.

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MoJo

Ashford

An active, affordable and growing workforce is available, and 10,000 new homes are under construction in the Ashfield and Chilmington Green area, with a further 5,000 planned over the next 20 years bringing further talent.

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Mountfield Road Industrial Estate

New Romney

The key 10 hectare employment site in the Romney Marsh area comprising phases 1 and 2. Potential opportunity for further commercial development or extension of the existing premises on another six hectares.

Tonbridge Trade Park

Tonbridge

The proposed scheme will comprise high-quality units ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 sq ft offering design and build opportunities. Vale Road is a prominent location near Tonbridge high street and train station with immediate access to the A26 and A21.

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Bardell Wharf

Rochester

Bardell Wharf is a complex urban regeneration scheme taking several redundant brownfield sites and knitting them together to form a new creative quarter for Rochester.

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Former Cinema Site/Belvedere

Tunbridge Wells

Former Grain Power Station

Hoo

Former Kingsnorth Power Station

Hoo

Former Royal Mail Sorting Office

Maidstone

Herne Bay Commercial Quarter

Herne Bay

Provision of 572 homes of mixed sizes and tenures, including 171 policy compliant affordable homes, meeting local housing requirements and significantly contributing to the Council’s 5-year housing land supply.

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Hoplands Farm

Canterbury

Love Lane

Faversham

Newtown Works

Ashford

This new development aims to put Ashford at the forefront of the digital revolution, by offering state-of-the-art film and TV production space in the heart of Kent. With quick links to London, Newtown Works and Ashford makes for an ideal location for key players in the online streaming, film and TV industries.

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Park Farm

Folkestone

RiverOak

Manston Airport

The Powerhouse

London Dartford

The Powerhouse.London is a unique logistics opportunity within the M25. Benefiting from cross docking, up to 59m yard depth and 21m eaves, deliverable in 26 weeks* – the scheme offers an outstanding specification with direct access to Central London and the South East.

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Otterpool Park

Opportunities for offices, light industry, leisure, retail and food and beverage

A proposed new garden town providing up to 10,000 homes, 9,000 jobs and community facilities over 30 years.

Well-positioned for London and Europe, Otterpool Park is located next to Junction 11 of the M20 and Westenhanger station.

For enquiries contact John Foster, Economic Development Manager john.foster@otterpoolpark.org or 07513 834458.

www.otterpoolpark.org

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