The new Costco Wholesale warehouse is proposed to be located on a vacant plot of land just to the south of Junction 5 of the M20.

 

The A20 London Road runs along the south of the site with Coldharbour Lane running along the east of the site, up to the Aylesford Interchange. On the western side is London Road East and Milner Road with East Park Road to the north.

 

Its strategic location means it can be easily reached by motorway with limited impact on the local road network. The warehouse will not open until 10am on weekdays which means there is only a small level of additional traffic during the morning peak. The M20 provides direct access to large areas of Kent.

 

It is proposed to have two accesses to the site. The first access will be to the east of the site from Coldharbour Lane (the link road between the M20 and the A20). This will be traffic signal controlled and allow vehicles to enter the site from both directions and leave by turning left. The second access will be from the south of the site from the A20 London Road which will be a left-in/left-out priority junction.

 

Other improvements currently being considered are the signalisation of the M20 off slip roads at Junction 5 and the signalisation of the new Coldharbour Lane roundabout. These new traffic signals would be coordinated to help the smooth flow of traffic and would allow a controlled crossing across the link road to replace the existing uncontrolled crossing.

 

The location is well connected to footways and cycleways which will be continued into the site. A new footway/cycleway will be provided through the site to connect to Park Road East. There are bus stops within a short walk, which are served by bus routes that connect to Maidstone and beyond. The scheme will include facilities for cyclists and EV charging. A Travel Plan will be prepared to discourage car use and encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport.