Former Kent Wool Growers site bought by Ashford Borough Council

An abandoned site partly destroyed by fire is still set to be turned into homes after being snapped up by a council.

Bosses at Ashford Borough Council have bought the crime-hit Kent Wool Growers plot in Tannery Lane for an undisclosed sum and say their scheme could include flats and houses.

The historic buildings next to the Royal Mail sorting office have sat empty since 2017 when the company went into administration after almost 100 years.

Since then several of the buildings have fallen into disrepair, with a huge fire engulfing the former Town and Country Store in 2019.

The same year, London-based regeneration specialists U+I secured planning permission to build 250 homes on the site.

They included three blocks, between six to eight storeys high, and a 14-storey residential tower, but these plans were never seen through.

Now the council’s housing development team says its hopes to “breathe new life” into the 2.9-acre site and work is underway to create new proposals likely to include mixed-use homes, commercial space, a community hub and green space.

Bosses say the scheme could include a number of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom townhouses.

The precise number of homes planned for the land is yet to be confirmed but ABC says there will be fewer than the 254 residential units previously agreed.

Cllr Bill Barrett (Independent), portfolio holder for homes and homelessness, said: “We are proud of our track record in bringing forward high-quality and well-designed social housing developments for the benefit of our residents.

“The bar has been set high and this scheme delivering much-needed housing is going to push those standards even higher.”

Historically known as the Tanyard, the site had been used as a tannery as far back as the 17th century.

There are a number of buildings at various stages of disrepair, including the remains of the Grade II*-listed Whist House dating back to 1707, as well as several other brick and prefabricated structures.

The council says it is working with On Architecture to deliver a scheme with “strong green credentials” but the exact details are yet to be revealed.

A spokesman for On Architecture said: “We are looking to create a distinctive style in line with the aims of the local plan to create a gateway to Ashford.

“We are working with the council to create a sense of identity and are very excited to deliver this placemaking vision.”

Bosses say further design work is being carried out on the Tannery Lane scheme before a public consultation is held in early 2024. A planning application is expected to follow later that year.

The future of ABC’s Civic Centre, just a stone’s throw from the Kent Wool Growers plot, is currently unclear as the authority is looking to move to International House.

It is understood ABC – which is now run by an Ashford Independents/Green Party coalition – is looking to make savings of about £2 million per year to balance its books over a five-year period.

U+I had paid £3m for the Kent Wool Growers site in 2018.