The death knell is tolling for one of Maidstone's most prominent pubs.

The Wheatsheaf, which presides over the junction of the A229 Loose Road and A274 Sutton Road in Maidstone, is to be pulled down.

The pub has been closed since January 1 last year, after KCC purchased the property from the landlords Rossa and Renee Kenny, who had run the inn since 1984.

The highways authority intends to pull down the building to make room for a larger junction arrangement.

KCC has submitted a planning application to Maidstone council seeking permission for the demolition.

The plans says demolition is expected to take six weeks and will include the three-storey main building, three extensions and two outbuildings.

Work will be carried out between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or bank holidays.

Any slab waste will be broken up on site into manageable sizes and taken away in 20-tonne lorries.

KCC acknowledges there will be dust created, and with residential properties nearby, pledges to keep that to the minimum by frequent hosing down with water. Lorries will also be hosed down before leaving the site.

KCC has already encountered two problems.

A survey carried in January found evidence of a bat roost in a chimney on the first floor. Bats are a protected species. KCC will now have to carry out further surveys to determine whether the roost is in use and if so will need to obtain a special licence from Natural England.

Additionally, asbestos is present in part of te building which will require specialist handling to remove it safely.

The demolition will make way for a junction improvement as part of KCC's Delivering Growth Without Gridlock plan, 2016 - 2031.

It said the new junction would improve traffic flow and reduce air pollution.

The Wheatsheaf has been a local landmark since 1830.

The planning application can be viewed on the Maidstone council website. Planning application 21/501019 refers.

Aerial photo supplied by Hawkeye Aerial Media.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone

Read more: All the latest news from Weald