Advised by MMX Retail and Kearney Bell, Kennedy Wilson has recently secured JD Sports, Poundland, Smiggle and Diechmann. Leading trainer and sports fashion retailer JD Sports, has signed a ten-year lease for a 6,000 sq ft, while Poundland has taken 15,273 sq ft. Australia’s hottest stationery brand Smiggle has signed an 10 year lease for 1,016 sq ft and Deichmann, the market leader in the German and European shoe wear, has taken 4,809 sq ft on an 10 year lease. County Square is the primary shopping location in Ashford and is ideally located within the third fastest growing population in the South East. Now surpassing six million shoppers for the first time, the centre offers a diverse tenant mix across its 91 retail units, which includes Next, M&S and Debenhams. Ashford has seen an increasing amount of investment in recent years, such as Ashford Borough Council forward funding Elwick Place, a two-hectare brownfield development site in the heart of the town centre. Developed by Stanhope, Elwick Place will comprise a six-screen, 897-seat boutique Picturehouse cinema, 58-bed family hotel run by Travelodge, up to eight new restaurant/cafes, and a new 282-space car park. A later phase of the development may also deliver new homes on the site. Elwick Place is one element of a wider £519 million of investment in developments in Ashford town centre, which are either currently under construction or with construction expected to start within the next five years, building on the town’s unique position with its high-speed rail route to Central London and Europe. Alex Peck, Associate Partner at MMX Retail, said: “Ashford is a dominant retail and commercial destination in the south east. With high levels of inward investment, Ashford is currently undergoing a huge transformation, which in turn will further cement it as a place for businesses to thrive. “Welcoming new brands to County Square is a prime example of the success of the centre, as well as the strength of Ashford’s loyal and growing shopper base. Furthermore, it helps bolster and complement the current retail mix.”