A community centre will be torn down and replaced with a new one with a sports hall, kitchen and bar after plans were given the green light.

Heather House in Park Wood, Maidstone, which is close to Holy Family School, will be demolished to make way for a new hub.

The centre in Bicknor Road, backing onto Parkwood Recreation Ground, is currently only used by Maidstone Boxing Club.

It is short distance down the road from the former Royal British Legion Pavilion, also owned by the council, which is currently on a short-term lease to Weavering Warriors Rugby Club.

The council will seek a contribution of £956,420 in the form of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which will be used to part-fund the building of the community centre.

The local authority has also secured a £100,000 grant from the government's Land Release Funding scheme towards the project.

Maidstone council said the scheme would significantly improve the public perception of the community centre and contribute towards the regeneration of the area, as well as assisting with the provision of affordable housing.

It will meet the latest energy efficiency standards, resulting in lower long-term maintenance and running costs.

It will include a sports hall, kitchen, storage, bar and social lounge area, as well as further ancillary areas that will support field-based sports on the adjacent recreation ground including four sets of changing rooms.

It will also incorporate a Changing Places facility – the latest idea in providing toilet and shower facilities for the disabled and incontinent.

The new centre will be similar in size to the existing building, but be re-positioned to be farther away from an existing area of ancient woodland and closer to the edge of the playing field.

The council has a contractor in mind to build the project with work starting in November and with the community centre completed by November next year, and the houses by June 2025.

Proposals were approved at a meeting last week.

Cllr Wendy Young (Con) said: "I'm so pleased this proposal is going ahead at last. We've been waiting such a long time."

While Cllr Margaret Rose (Lab) agreed, adding: "I hope this will become a community hub used by all. Park Wood – like all areas – has its anti-social element, but this could become a hub used by everybody and valued by everybody."

The former RBL pavilion is set to come down too and be replaced by 11 new-build homes, four of which will be classed as "First Homes" and being sold at a 30% discount to the market rate.

First Homes require that none of the properties be sold at a price higher than £250,000.

Seven of the properties will be for private rented accommodation and consist of four three-bed and three four-bed homes.

Between them they will have 22 parking spaces, while the centre will have 29.

The new homes will all be fitted with solar panels from the outset.

However, the council will not run the new centre directly, but instead will look to issue a 25-year lease to a management company.

Heather House was built in the 1972 largely of concrete and consists of two separate structures, both in a poor state of repair. It has some asbestos cladding.

In May last year a man in his 20s was seriously hurt in a stabbing at the play park between Heather House and the pavillion club.

The council actually shut the community centre in 2017 because it was in such a poor state, but later reopened it following a public outcry, including an 800-signature petition, after carrying out minimal repairs.

Even back in 2018, repairs needed to to make the building good enough to last another 15 years were estimated at £765,000, making demolition and rebuilding the cheaper option in the long run.