Construction of a new retail park featuring The Range is set to start next summer - with the homeware giant due to open a year later.

Ashford Borough Council gave the go-ahead last week for eight large shops, including a Costa Coffee drive-thru and vets, to be built next to John Lewis at Home in Fougeres Way.

The scheme - dubbed the Drovers Retail Park - will be built on land previously earmarked for an 800-space park and ride.

Barry Henderson, from developer Castle City Estates, says the retail park is scheduled to open in summer 2020.

“That sounds like a lifetime away, but it will go quickly,” he said.

“We have been hoping to do this scheme since the completion of John Lewis five years’ ago."

Mr Henderson says four of the eight units have already been filled.

Chains including Oak Furniture Land and ScS could move into the development, which has been described as a "homewares hub".

Developers had submitted plans for the country’s first purpose-built Bunnings store in March, but replaced the Australian firm with The Range when Bunnings bosses pulled out of the UK market.

Mr Henderson added: “All of the shops which go there will be within the bulky goods sector.

“There won’t be any fashion or jewellery shops.

“There is a lot of expenditure going out of Ashford at the moment with people going to Canterbury and Folkestone for homeware stores.

“When it is built, people won’t have to.”

While the plans received unanimous support from councillors at the ABC planning committee meeting, the Central Ashford Community Forum raised concerns about traffic on the nearby Drovers roundabout.

However, a council officer assured the committee that Kent County Council has assessed the area to ensure the roads will not be too badly affected during peak hours.

Mr Henderson says section 106 agreements are still to be signed off, which include the developers providing £150,000 to the Ashford Borough Council coffers for town centre improvements.