Plans for a £9.5 million office space has been approved.

Permission has been granted for Maidstone Borough Council’s proposed Innovation Centre at Kent Medical Campus - situated beside Junction 7 of the M20.

The four storey, 37,000sqft structure will provide offices, facilities, and business support for small and medium-sized enterprises working in the life science, healthcare and medical technology sectors.

Construction is set to start in Autumn this year and is expected to be completed in time to welcome its first tenants in Summer 2021.

When finished, it is expected to generate around 270 jobs and bring in a further £120m to the local economy over the next decade.

William Cornall, director of regeneration and place at Maidstone Borough Council, said: “The Innovation Centre is integral to our growth ambitions, and it builds upon the Government’s support for the North Kent Enterprise Zone which includes the Kent Medical Campus as a key location for employment growth that will deliver 4,000 jobs for Maidstone.”

The project will be part of The North Kent Enterprise Zone which includes Innovation Park Medway, and a number of sites within Ebbsfleet Garden City.

The government has promised business rates discounts of up to £55,000 per year for five years for companies that locate within an Enterprise Zone by the end of March 2022.

Tony Collins, chairman of Kent Medical Campus, added: “Once again Maidstone Borough Council has signalled its belief that the campus is the largest economic driver for the borough and a major centre for science, healthcare and education employment.

“Our existing planning permission for 98,000sqm of commercial space, combined with Enterprise Zone status, the arrival of Cygnet Health Care and work under way on Care UK’s latest care home, means the campus is already delivering on its potential for Maidstone.”

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone.