Designers who take on the task of transforming the County Town are being asked to look to the boulevards and piazzas of Europe for inspiration.

The launch of Maidstone Council’s High Street design competition saw Cllr Malcolm Greer (Con) lay down the gauntlet to design companies, calling on them to come up with imaginative proposals for a £4million redesign of Maidstone High Street and the surrounding area.

Designs must be submitted by Thursday March 5. They will go before a judging panel of experts, including representatives from Maidstone Council, Kent County Council and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

An advisory panel, set to include the Kent Messenger, will help choose the shortlist.

The five best designs will then be put forward to public consultation and will be featured in the Kent Messenger.

Kent Messenger editor Bob Bounds said: “Our newspaper’s connection to Maidstone stretches back 150 years and we’re proud to be part of a vibrant town centre.

“The High Street design competition is an exciting chance for all of us in the County Town to take control of our future, and I’m looking forward to seeing some innovative ideas.”

Cllr Greer urged the people of Maidstone to get involved.

He said: “It’s not just about making the High Street pretty; it’s about the economic development of Maidstone. I feel the County Town has got so much to offer, we don’t sell ourselves.

“I’m hoping this will attract businesses to Maidstone and if you do that it will bring more jobs.”

Cllr Greer said the open designs of European streets such as those in Vienna, where he had recently been on holiday, were a good example of how pedestrians and traffic could share an urban space.

Closer to home, New Road in Brighton was an example of how redesigning a street could attract people and encourage business investment.

He said economic recession would not impact on the scheme, as it already had guaranteed government funding, adding: “This is the time to get up and do something, we really need to grab hold of this.

“I’ve got ideas but architects are there to do a job – they come with fantastic ideas.

“What we’re looking at are the best ideas we can get – that’s why we’ve gone for an international competition, prestigious ideas, so when we come down to it people can say ‘yes, we’ve done everything we can to ensure Maidstone has the best ideas and the best way forward.’”

Cllr Greer said the project would be funded with government money awarded to the council due to Maidstone’s appointment as a government “growth point”.

£2m had already been set aside but the council expected more to come, said Cllr Greer.

The re-design will incorporate the High Street, along with the historic All Saints area and parts of the river, which Cllr Greer described as a “gem” that should be more accessible.

Designers can find out more here about the competition to improve Maidstone High Street.