Kent and Maidstone councils scrap joint £50m headquarters plan

The plans would have led to Kent County Council moving from its current base in Maidstone

Plans to build a joint £50 million headquarters for two councils have been scrapped amid pandemic pressures.

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) and Kent County Council (KCC) bought the location near Maidstone East railway station in 2016.

But the scheme has now been aborted.

A MBC spokesman said: "This idea has now been completely discounted, given the changes to working practices brought about by the pandemic."

Plans for a joint headquarters, at the site of a former Royal Mail sorting office on Sandling Road, Maidstone, were first revealed in June 2020.

At the time, designs showed it would include a public plaza, gym, green roof and terrace, along with a 443-space car park, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

MBC said a "shared aspiration" for the site now included redeveloping the land and turning it into a "mixed-used" development, which may include housing and retail shops.

'Lower carbon footprint'

KCC councillor Gary Cooke supported the decision to terminate the plans for a joint headquarters.

He said: "The pandemic has taught us all that there are more flexible and better ways of using our council estate.

"By working with staff who then have the option to work from home for certain days each week, we can not only save ratepayer money but it will also assist us in helping to lower our carbon footprint."

Further updates are expected in the "coming weeks" over the next phase of the project, according to MBC.

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