No plans have been submitted for a “forgotten” shopping arcade despite speculation over work starting there.

The Broadway Shopping Centre in Buckland Road, Maidstone – previously home to Matalan and Lidl – saw the last of its anchor tenants leave in November.

The German supermarket became the last to leave the 70’s-style shopping arcade, having moved to its new permanent home across the road in St Peter’s Street.

This has left many of the units in the building vacant for months and concerns over its use have grown.

Rumours spread in January of the site being converted into as many as 200 flats but that was quashed by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC).

In 2019 there were plans to replace the arcade with a 15-storey apartment block but an online petition against the proposal reached almost 5,000 signatures and the plans were eventually rejected in November that year.

No planning application involving the site has been submitted since.

Cllr Stuart Jeffery (Green) took to Facebook after a fence appeared around the complex.

He said: “I have spoken with MBC officers and confirmed that there has been no planning application.

“It’s a very sensitive site but as far as I can see it is just fencing.

“The site itself has been empty for a while and people are just concerned whatever happens to it is right for the community.”

Many have voiced their opinions in response to Cllr Jeffery’s post.

Beelynda Agdaji Polanco said: “People were using the entrance as parking to drop their kids at the nursery across the street… I’m guessing they didn’t like that.”

Helen Waller wrote: “A worker from one of the units underneath said to me their lease was still in place with no plans to move out.

“Any info from any of the businesses on ground level? Must have affected custom if no car park?”

Others expressed their opinions concerning the future of the empty retail site.

Eddy Kent wrote: “Fence it off to prevent access... makes sense.

“Why doesn't MBC buy the site and turn it into a combination of retail with homes above the retail?

“That then gives them control of how many they build and brings future income from leasing the retail and renting out the flats.”

Dom Cresswell replied: “It’s been retail before and no one ever used it. It’s a horrible site for shopping. I can only recall it being used to any extent when it was a Safeway in the 1980s/90s.

“In my opinion, residential is the best thing they could do with it. Some people moan about new houses going up, but also seem to be unhappy with reusing existing buildings.”

For now the building is to remain unused with still plans for its regeneration.

Speaking in September, Cllr Paul Cooper (Con) said: “We are not aware of any planning applications or pre-applications for the Lidl in the Broadway Shopping Centre at this time.

“Therefore, we are aware that the site may need redevelopment at some point in the future and due to the location we appreciate the impact this would have on the area.

"At that point we would work with the landowner to make sure that any new development meets the approval of local residents before beginning any work.”