PLANS to revamp the Kent County Showground will provoke mixed feelings.

Modernisers will say "about time too". Residents of Detling will worry about possible damage to their beloved countryside. And competitors will be concerned that a sleeping giant is about to awake and belatedly give them a tougher time.

Kent County Agricultural Society was set up in the 1920s when the county was not only the Garden of England but also its orchard and breadbasket. Along with chalk quarrying and paper manufacture, farming and horticulture were dominant economic actitivies. The sector employed thousands.

KCAS represented these sectors well, organising the county show to showcase their achievements. But things are different now. The land now contributes less than three per cent to the economy.

KCAS recognised that farming was no longer central to the county show. While the land-based community was still important, it had become more about entertainment and shopping. More space was offered to commerce and retail. Days were switched from Thursday to Saturday to Friday to Sunday. KCAS invested in new facilities at the showground and welcomed other exhibitions and entertainment.

So KCAS cannot be accused of being Luddite although critics believe it has moved too slowly to exploit its marvellous location and land-holding for modern purposes.

There is undeniable tension between the conservatives – small c – and modernisers in KCAS. There have been management changes, perhaps reflecting these tensions. There are still those who see farming as its prime purpose. But new brooms are likely to get their way.

The latest plans, outlined in our front-page story, will frighten local people. But some will question whether plans for a conference and exhibition centre are bold enough.

Kent desperately needs a showcase venue and Detling is the obvious place. Mid Kent is losing out to the Thames Gateway and Ashford in terms of economic activity and transport infrastructure.

A superb facility at Detling, coupled with a proposed veterinary and equine centre – a possible Olympic training venue – would redress the balance.

Any upgrading scheme for the showground depends on a better road network. That will not appeal to locals and conservationists. But it can be done sensitively. And in the wider context of Kent’s economy and profile, the KCAS plans represent an overdue leap forward that many will welcome.