Costco Wholesale, one of the world’s largest retailers, is inviting local residents and businesses to have their say on proposals for a new warehouse club in Kent, which would be the first in the county if approved.
The retailer is proposing to build a 13,000m² membership warehouse and petrol filling station off Coldharbour Lane, just south of the Aylesford Interchange at Junction 5 of the M20. Costco currently operates 29 sites across the UK, and the proposed Kent location would represent a significant expansion of its southeast England footprint.
The scheme is expected to create a minimum of 250 jobs for local people, making it a notable addition to the county’s employment landscape. Before submitting a formal planning application to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, Costco has launched a public consultation to gather feedback from the community.
Neighbours of the proposed site have been directly invited to a public exhibition, with Costco encouraging wider participation from across the region through its online consultation portal.
A spokesperson for Costco Wholesale said: “Before applying to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council for planning permission, we’d like to present our proposal to the local community and provide an opportunity for residents and businesses to provide feedback. We’ve invited the neighbours of our proposed site to the public exhibition, and we hope that people from across the area will visit our consultation website.”
The consultation is open until Sunday 31 May. Those wishing to view the exhibition materials and submit feedback can do so at www.costco.uk/consultation.
For Kent, the prospect of a Costco warehouse underlines the county’s growing appeal as a destination for major retail and logistics operators, driven by its strategic position on the M20 corridor and its proximity to London and the Channel ports.
