The abandoned former home of an agricultural supplier is set to be cleared ahead of demolition for a “vibrant community” of homes.
Kent Wool Growers (KWG) – a farming co-operative that spent almost 100 years in Tannery Lane, Ashford – shut down in 2017.
Kent Wool Growers in Ashford closed in 2017
A year later, the site suffered its first fire, before being devastated by a second blaze in 2019.
Now, Ashford Borough Council (ABC) – which bought the plot in 2023 – is preparing to clear it of rubbish before demolition works.
It was previously said a planning application would be submitted at the end of 2024, but it has not yet materialised.
ABC says it is currently holding pre-application talks ahead of bringing forward a bid.
A spokesman for the authority’s housing development team said: “Our plans for developing the former KWG site in Tannery Lane continue to progress and we are currently holding pre-application discussions with the local planning authority [ABC] ahead of bringing forward a planning application.
The former Kent Wool Growers in Ashford is in a sorry state
“We are also preparing to organise a clear up of rubbish and vegetation on the site in readiness for a forthcoming demolition tender.
“When it comes to demolition works, we are obviously mindful that the 1707-built Whist House is a Grade II*-listed building and there are an additional two listed buildings within the curtilage of the application site.”
Every building on the site will be flattened except for the historic home, which sits abandoned and covered in scaffolding.
A year after KWG closed, the land was sold to London-based regeneration specialists U+I for £3m.
It put forward controversial plans to build more than 250 flats including a huge 14-storey block which were approved in 2019.
The abandoned Kent Wool Growers is set to be cleared ahead of demolitionSecurity now patrols the former Kent Wool Growers site in Ashford
This scheme never went ahead, but in September 2023 ABC revealed it had bought the site for an undisclosed sum.
The new proposals will include flats, townhouses and a community hub, but on a smaller scale than those previously approved.
ABC believes the former thriving farming business offers an “unrivalled opportunity to create a vibrant community at the gateway to the town”.
Bosses say the scheme could include one, two, and three-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom townhouses; however, the precise number of homes has yet to be confirmed.
Kent Wool Growers in Ashford was once a thriving farming co-operativeThe Kent Wool Growers site is in Tannery Lane, AshfordThe 1707-built Whist House at Kent Wool Growers in Ashford is a Grade II*-listed building
KWG, established in 1920, launched with 73 members and expanded to support more than 4,000.
But it fell into administration when it suffered a downturn in both retail and account sales, putting pressure on its cash flow.
The once-bustling hub, which sold an array of farming supplies and featured a gun shop and a clothing store, soon became deserted.