Bunnings has confirmed that the location of its fifth UK warehouse will occupy an outlet formerly owned by its biggest rival, B&Q.

The 75,000sq ft former B&Q warehouse in Folkestone will be occupied by the team currently working at the Homebase just down the road at the Park Farm Retail Park. The doors will shut here in July and the new Bunnings store is expected to open later that month.

B&Q vacated the premises in January after a two month closing down sale. A Bunnings spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the fifth Bunnings Warehouse pilot store will open in Folkestone.

“Our team in the existing Homebase store in Folkestone have been made aware and we will be shutting the doors in July. We expect the new Bunnings Warehouse to open in July at a nearby site formerly occupied by B&Q.

“The new store is approximately 75,000 sq ft and will employ an additional 40 full and parttime team members. This is an exciting development for us as our pilot programme builds momentum extending the Bunnings Warehouse offer to a new area of the UK. Our first pilot store in Griffiths Way, St Albans is performing well and we successfully opened the doors to our second pilot store in the town earlier this month.”