Latest pictures show the huge progress being made on Kent’s newest retail park - as the first phase is set to be completed this year.

Home Bargains and Costa Coffee are expected to become the first tenants on Drovers Retail Park in Ashford.

Construction workers started clearing land off A20 Fougeres Way, opposite The Range, in January.

Four months on and structures for both buildings can be seen in place, with several diggers and a crane on site.

About 45 workers are currently constructing the park, which is about one week ahead of schedule.

Phase two of the scheme will include five other shops, but the proposed tenants are not yet known.

Construction company Wilten - the main contractor behind the retail park - says work on the initial units is expected to be completed this autumn.

Project manager Darryl Stace said: “The steel frame has gone up with block work and drainage being concluded.

“Roofing started last week and gabion baskets are going in soon too.

“We’ve started the main block work for Costa as well with both on target to be completed by the middle of October. That’s phase one.

“Block work probably has another month to go - that’s exterior finishes and steel cladding.

“We’re also hoping to put tarmac down for the car park in June.

“We hand over to them and Home Bargains in mid-September so they can start work on the interior.

“So we’re about one week ahead of schedule which is obviously good.

“Phase two is the other units which we don’t have the information for at the moment.”

Plans for the development were approved by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) in 2018.

Home Bargains - which currently has a store on the nearby Warren Retail Park - did not wish to comment on the new site when contacted by KentOnline.

The chain has not confirmed further details about its opening or what will happen to its current store on the Warren Retail Park, which opened less than a mile away in 2017.

In planning documents submitted to ABC in 2020, bosses said the site is considered to be "too small" and "does not meet the current store requirements of 20,000 to 25,000 sq ft".

The company’s move was first mooted five years ago as a result of The Range pulling out of the Drovers Retail Park site and instead taking over the former John Lewis department store opposite.

It opened in March 2022, almost a year after John Lewis confirmed its 'At Home' store had closed for good.

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Bunnings, the Australian DIY firm, was another chain previously earmarked for Drovers Retail Park, but soon pulled out of the UK market and the plans were dropped.

Chains including Oak Furniture Land and ScS have been touted as possible tenants for the other stores at the development, which has been described as a “homeware hub”.