A new retail park years in the making is expected to host Home Bargains as one of its flagship tenants.

The discount retailer is anticipated to become the second brand to occupy a unit on the new estate being built along the A20 Fougeres Way - opposite The Range - in Ashford.

Construction workers started clearing land on the former grassland plot in January in a move which will eventually see it be turned into Drovers Retail Park.

KentOnline has already confirmed Costa Coffee drive-thru is to join the site ahead of its expected opening later this year.

Plans for the development, which will include the Costa drive-thru and six large shops, were approved by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) in 2018 but work has kick-started in recent months.

Home Bargains - who recently purchased the freehold of the plot - said it did not wish to comment on the new site but did not deny its anticipated arrival at the park 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 - less than a mile away.

New images show several diggers, thumpers and tractors lacing the site as groundworks progress quickly.

Construction company, Wilten, which is the main contractor behind the retail park, says work on these initial units is expected to be completed this autumn with Home Bargains also set to feature an outdoor garden centre.

"We started in the middle of January and everything is going to plan so far,” said project manager Darry Stace.

"At the moment we're doing earthworks and we've started putting in attenuation tanks for drainage and vibro piling for Home Bargains.

"The whole plot is in three phases and we're working on phase one, which is Costa, Home Bargains, the garden centre and the car park.

"Phase two will be what I understand is four other units, but our work finishes about mid-October.

"There's about four or five contractors on site now, but we'll probably have eight or nine at one time and up to 100 people working."

Home Bargains opened the Warren Retail Park site in 2017.

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

The company’s move was mooted five years ago as a result of The Range deciding to pull out of the approved Drovers Retail Park and instead take over the former John Lewis department store opposite the site.

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

Another store that was previously earmarked for the site was the country’s first purpose-built Bunnings store.

But the Australian DIY firm soon pulled out of the UK market and the plans were dropped.

Other chains including Oak Furniture Land and ScS have been touted as possible tenants at the Drovers Retail Park development, which was described as a “homewares hub”.

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Plans for new signage advertising Costa were approved last month.

A spokesperson for the coffeehouse chain said: “We are pleased to confirm that planning permission has been granted for a new Costa Coffee store on Drovers Retail Park in Kent.

"We look forward to opening a new store for the local community and those on-the-go to enjoy their favourite Costa coffee.”