An empty Mothercare store could be replaced with hotel boasting more than 100 rooms.

The maternity shop in Week Street, Maidstone, closed earlier this year.

Making a Difference to Maidstone, a charity supporting the homeless, viewed the store twice since it closed in the hope of of moving in.

Charity founder Amanda Sidwell said: "The owners would only offer us one year's lease, as they wanted to do something else with the property, but I didn’t see this reason coming at all."

Talks are still in the very early stages. No planning application has been submitted but Maidstone Borough Council confirmed it was in "pre application talks" with developers.

Dexter Moren Associates are thought to be the architects for the development, said it was waiting for a response from MBC after the meeting, and it was too early to comment.

Earlier this year Travelodge announced it had its eyes on opening another hotel in the County Town.

It currently operates a hotel on the other side of the river in St Peter's Street, voted Maidstone's ugliest building in 2014.

Premier Inn has its own hotel in London Road.

Ciaran O'Quigley, owner of MuMu restaurant and nightclub, gained planning approval for a five-star spa hotel in Brewer Street in 2016 and hopes to start building soon.

The business owner from Barming said: "I think another hotel is a brilliant idea. Anything that brings 132 people plus from other places to Maidstone has to be a good thing.

"It will have to be a budget hotel if it's bringing that many rooms, so it will be slightly different to the MuMu hotel. I do wonder what they will do about parking."

Mrs Sidwell was shocked to hear the news.

She said: "I appreciate they must have seen something to think it would work but it's not like we don't have hotels already. How many do we need?

"What a place to put it, if it does get past planning I'll be speechless."

A Maidstone Borough Council spokeswoman said: "There has been a number of a pre application meetings but no planning application has been submitted."

Travelodge have been contacted for comment.

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