by Anna White

awhite@thekmgroup.co.uk

Plans have been submitted to demolish 236 flats on a rundown housing estate.

Golding Homes last week formally lodged its application with Maidstone council to replace hundreds of properties in Park Wood with 185 new homes.

The designs include a new shopping area and public facilities.

If the £34 million project is given the go-ahead, the scheme will be carried out in three stages.

It is hoped the first stage, which incorporates 100 flats in Washington House, Farfax House, Wallis Avenue and Brishing Lane, will be completed by the end of this year.

Workers will aim to finish other two stages by 2016.

The other affected blocks of flats are Balmoral House, Belvedere House, Grosvenor House, Nelson House, Reading House and Thanet House.

Occupants will be able to use the Kent Homechoice scheme to choose where they are rehomed and can stay in the area if there is availability.

Families will not be given preferential treatment if they wish to live in the new homes.

They will go through Maidstone council’s housing allocation system.

The proposals can be viewed at www.maidstone.gov.uk

People have until Wednesday, July 11 to comment.