Huge new warehouses are proposed for the site of a historic printing business that closed five years ago and dated back to Victorian times.

Invicta Press buildings could be demolished to make way for three units on the former Headley Brothers plot near Ashford town centre.

Two years ago, London-based applicant Peer Holdings Ltd unveiled plans for 157 homes on the 13.5-acre Lower Queens Road site, but the firm has now swung in a new direction.

The three warehouses, which would cover 9,400sq m, would be used for general industry, distribution, storage and offices, according to documents lodged with Ashford Borough Council.

A statement submitted to DHA Planning of Maidstone says: “The redevelopment and enhancement of the existing brownfield site is considered acceptable in principle given its highly sustainable location within the Ashford urban area.

“The proposed design and layout have been carefully considered. Overall the scheme is considered to be of high-quality design, which responds to the local character of the area.”

As well as the warehouses, which would be 3,441sq m, 2,590sq m and 3,409sq m respectively, 88 car parking spaces are planned, as well as 44 spaces for bikes, and a yard for lorries to park.

Primary access would continue from Mace Lane, and the application also involves demolishing part of a unit at the Mace Lane Industrial Estate, for the “realignment” of the access and parking.

Headley Brothers was founded in 1881 by brothers Herbert and Burgess Headley to print paper bags, bill heads and circulars for Ashford businesses.

The firm moved to the Invicta Press site, from nearby Edinburgh Road, in 1906.

In November 2017, the business closed for good just months after being taken over, employing 13 people by that point.

At the time of closing, it was understood the company had an unpaid electricity bill totalling tens of thousands of pounds.

The main Headley Brothers factory was knocked down in 2019 but some industrial buildings remain.

It looked like the site would be used for housing when Peer Holdings sought permission in 2021 to build 60 houses and 97 flats and create an 'ecology park' next to the river.

The green space would have provided an extension to the Queen Mother's Park, and include a riverside viewing area, with woodland walks.

However, these ambitious plans never went any further.

Both Peer Holdings and DHA have been contacted by KentOnline for further comment.