Kent County Council is to revamp its main office in Maidstone at a cost of £4.4m and move staff out of three others.

Council chiefs say centralising staff in Invicta House in a reorganisation will eventually save the taxpayer £1.6m a year.

Under the plans, the authority is to vacate its other offices in the County Town – Brenchley House, Bishops Terrace and Cantium House.

Staff who work at these three will move to Invicta House, which after a major refurbishment will be able to accommodate about 1,200 employees, close to double the number who are based there.

KCC says the six-storey Invicta House, which it owns and is 30 years old, needs extensive improvement work.

Despite an initial outlay of £4.4m, the programme will eventually save money.

The council estimates that it could sell Cantium House for a six-figure sum.

Both Brenchley House and offices in Bishops Terrace, which are leased, cost about £1.6m to run each year.

County councillors have approved the project as part of a wider reorganisation of its offices in all parts of the county.

Work on the refurbishment is expected to start in February next year and be completed in July 2015.

Brenchley House is the corporate office for two directorates - social services and families and education.

Cantium House is used by IT staff while Invicta House is the base for economic development, highways, personnel and regulatory services.