Welcome to the office of the future - with a grass roof, no light switches and a woodchip burner.

Maidstone council is hoping to lead the way with its new eco-friendly offices above the Mall Chequers in King Street, Maidstone.

The building is heated by burning wood from local coppices, which will save about £10,000 a year on the gas bill.

It also has gadgets which monitor the electricity supply, turn computers off at the end of the day, and ensure that lights only come on when they are needed.

Cllr Mark Wooding (Con), cabinet member for the environment, said: “The offices make sense environmentally and economically. The measure we’ve put into place save energy and money, so we’re doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint and cut down costs.”

Don't miss this Friday's Kent Messenger for a full tour