A new industrial estate has sold nearly all its units just 18 months after developers secured planning permission.

Gallagher Properties said the appetite for warehouse space at its Nepicar Park site near Wrotham, which opened last week, proved there is strong confidence among small and medium-sized businesses in west Kent.

It secured planning permission for 15 units covering 42,000 sq ft next to the A20 and close to Junction 2a of the M26 in February last year.

Only two remain, although terms have been agreed for one of those, with final contracts yet to be exchanged.

Gallagher Group chief executive Nick Yandle said: “It clearly shows that there is demand for well-designed, high specification and well located industrial units that are close to the motorways in Kent.

“Speculative development in the county over the past few years has been rare, but we were confident we had come to understand the market and had the right product, in the right place, at the right time and so we committed to the development entirely speculatively.”

The purchasers include Insight Systems, Smart Group, Dransfield, ISS, TCW solutions, Pensdown and Akita Systems.

Three have been bought by investors who intend to rent the units.