Panattoni, the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has submitted a hybrid planning application for a major new logistics and industrial scheme at Lenham within the borough of Maidstone. Panattoni Park Maidstone would provide a total of 1.04 million sq ft of commercial floorspace on a 70-acre former manufacturing site, with detailed proposals for the first phase and outline permission sought for later, bespoke units.
What is being proposed
The developer says the detailed first phase comprises two readily available units of 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft. The outline element would allow customers to secure flexible, built-to-suit facilities in a second phase tailored to their operational needs.
- Site: 70 acres at Lenham (brownfield former manufacturing site)
- Total proposed floorspace: 1.04 million sq ft
- Phase 1 units: 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft
- Environmental targets: BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A+
- New infrastructure: around 5km of roads, cycleways and footpaths
Transport and location
Panattoni highlights the site’s strategic position close to the A20 and M20, offering connections towards London, the M25 and ports that serve the UK and continental Europe. The planning submission also includes proposals to deliver approximately 5km of new and improved roads, cycleways and footpaths, alongside landscaping and enhanced public access across the site.
Local consultation and brownfield reuse
The application follows a programme of local engagement. More than 150 people attended a public exhibition in Lenham earlier this year. According to the developer’s consultation summary, nearly 85% of respondents supported redeveloping the site for employment use and 98.5% agreed that restoring brownfield land was preferable to developing greenfield areas. The proposals therefore lean heavily on the argument that the site should return to productive use.
“This is a significant planning application that will unlock more than one million square feet of high-quality industrial and logistics space in a market where modern supply remains constrained,” said David McGougan, Senior Development Director for the South East at Panattoni.
Economic case and precedent
The application points to Panattoni’s nearby scheme at Aylesford as evidence of the economic potential of similar redevelopments. Panattoni Park Aylesford — another brownfield conversion — is now fully occupied and is estimated in the developer’s material to contribute around £180 million a year to the local economy while supporting thousands of jobs. The Lenham proposals are presented as a way to replicate that economic uplift within the Maidstone area.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Site area | 70 acres |
| Total floorspace | 1.04 million sq ft |
| Phase 1 units | 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft |
| Environmental targets | BREEAM ‘Excellent’; EPC A+ |
| New infrastructure | Approximately 5km roads, cycleways and footpaths |
For residents of Maidstone and surrounding villages, the proposals raise familiar questions about traffic, local jobs and the balance between development and environment. Panattoni’s submission stresses brownfield regeneration and high environmental standards, but the planning process will examine in detail the transport implications and the local benefits the development would bring.
Planning officers and councillors at Maidstone Borough Council will now consider the hybrid application, along with representations from residents and statutory consultees. If approved, the scheme would add a significant amount of modern logistics and light industrial capacity within reach of the town, while also delivering active travel link improvements across the site.
As the application progresses, local people will want to see clear commitments on traffic mitigation, job creation and the retention of promised environmental standards. The Aylesford example is a local precedent that developers and planners will point to, but the final decision will rest with the planning authority after formal consultation and technical assessment.
