An £8 million public link road has officially opened.

Representatives at Panattoni Park in Aylesford unveiled the new bypass, which is set to reduce congestion in the area.

Formerly home to Aylesford Newsprint, the site was taken over by the privately-owned industrial developer after the paper mill closed in 2015.

Work has since started after planning permission was secured in 2021.

The new road is part of the £180m investment and now connects both Station Road and Bellingham Way.

It is 1.9km long and took a year for planning permissions to be approved, as well as another year and three months to be built.

It will reduce traffic using Junctions 4 and 5 of the M20 and those travelling along Leybourne Way.

The introduction of a weight limit will ensure all HGVs entering and leaving the site will travel along Bellingham Way to Junction 4 via Leybourne Way – avoiding Aylesford village and surrounding roads.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held today and involved representatives from Panattoni and Kent County Council (KCC).

KCC leader, Roger Gough, said: “This is an enormously positive development.

“It is fantastic that a company like Panattoni is making a huge commitment to Kent.

“We have been working closely together to ensure that the activity on-site can equally take place whilst not having the spill over affect on the local community.”

Matt Boughton, leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, added: “What we have seen for a number of years is significant air quality issues on and around the A20, as well as traffic on the M20.

“We want to make sure that HGVs stick to the roads that are right for them.

“This now creates a nice, clear route between Larkfield and Aylesford, but also supports the development here.”

Delivery company DHL, temperature-controlled logistics company Fowler Welch, and a UK leader in the manufacture of pitched roof systems for the construction market, Marley, have already moved into the logistics park.

They are the latest to be handed the keys to their properties at the 90-acre site.

Panattoni have already leased premises to delivery company Evri in October last year.

The move is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs for the local community.

Head of development for the South East and London at Panattoni, Tony Watkins, said: “The A20 has been congested for years and has become a bottleneck for people, especially at rush hour.

“Residents can now access Aylesford and Larkfield without having to use this road.”

He added: “One of the things people were concerned about was the opportunity for HGVs to access Station Road.

“We have built a turning point so they don’t have to go onto the road if they make a mistake.

“There will be a weight restriction in place, but if someone decides to do it anyway there will be ANPR cameras installed.

“That means we can hand evidence over to KCC and the police if anyone contravenes the weight limits.”