Major developments under way in Ashford, Kent – just 38 minutes by high speed rail from Central London – are turning the town into a real estate hotspot.
Simultaneous projects include an 80,000 sq ft office, restaurant and retail space (the largest office block to be built in Kent for 20 years), part of Ashford Commercial Quarter; the Chilmington Green Garden City, with up to 5,750 new homes, retail community and social facilities; a massive £90 million extension to the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet, bringing 50 new shops and 500 jobs to the area; and the Elwick Plance 100,000 sq ft leisure and restaurant development with its cinema, Travelodge hotel, restaurants and 200 apartments.
“The combination of new residential developments, new transportation links, school improvements and retail developments will have an impact on house prices,” said a local property expert. “We expect house prices to increase over and above the national average as more people move from around the region to commute and find better living conditions.”
Mark Quinn, chief executive of Quinn Estates, which is developing the new 80,000 sq ft office building, said: “Ashford Commercial Quarter is going to mark a new chapter for Ashford and sets the standards for office space in the South East.” He believes that the new development “represents an extraordinary opportunity for businesses looking to relocate locally, or from London and further afield.”
GRE Assets is working with Quinn Estates on the Riverside Park residential development in Ashford.
