Building has begun on a drive-thru dealership run by truck and bus manufacturer Scania, which will create 34 jobs.

The design of the £6 million development in Maidstone will be based on a similar location owned by the Swedish supplier in Brussels and will be open 24 hours.

Found off Junction 6 of the M20, the site will feature a drive-thru workshop and a DVSA-authorised testing facility for traffic entering and leaving the UK through Kent ports and the Channel Tunnel.

The 2.5 acre development on the A229, due to open in January next year, will also sell parts for all makes of vehicles and their trailers, both new and used.

Scania’s South East regional executive director Adrian Inscoe said: “This site will have it all, from exceptional working conditions to the very latest specialist tools and diagnostic equipment to automatic lighting, an in-house recycling station, a sustainable water drainage system and photo voltaic roof panels.”

Maidstone-based property developer Gallagher Group will build the dealership.

Chief executive Nick Yandle said: “This is an exceptionally well located site and we are delighted that its potential is to be fulfilled by a business of the standing of Scania.

“The facility is well designed and will be built to a quality benefitting Scania’s long term commitment to the Maidstone economy.”