A housing association has unveiled its first showroom at a former private hospital.

Somerfield Terrace – previously known as Somerfield Hospital – in London Road, Maidstone, is set to have 73 homes built.

The 38-bed hospital closed in April 2019 after losing patients to other private healthcare providers in the town.

In December 2020, plans were approved by Maidstone Borough Council to convert the former BMI Healthcare Hospital into apartments.

Initially, concerns were raised by people over the lack of infrastructure in the area and increased traffic and congestion.

The site is near traffic lights at the crossroads with Queen's Road and Leafy Lane, which leads to London Road Retail Park and Brunswick House Primary School.

Somerfield was purchased two years ago from the hospital by a private investor who secured planning permission to build the 73 homes.

Housing association Golding Homes then bought the site in October last year, with construction starting two months later.

With the development set to be completed in spring 2023, the company has opened its first showroom in the Grade II listed building.

Karyn Young, development manager for the project, said it was important to preserve the period features of the flats.

She said: "The external front of the building is what we want to preserve – there are some beautiful porches, sash windows, lovely brickwork and lead and slate roofs.

"It's our heritage and we need to retain it. All of the arts and crafts that were involved in doing it are worth cherishing.

"Once they are gone, they're gone.

"We don't do it often enough, and by ripping it out, it will be dumped and wasted."

Somerfield Terrace dates back to 1850, and around 100 years ago the main building was originally four detached villas, said to be home to wealthy local merchants.

Walking through the flats, you can see hints of what the merchants liked – each original fireplace is slightly different and even the period bannisters have their own unique style.

The four separate buildings were then joined together when it became a military hospital.

Over to the right of the site stands what is called The Hotel, which has been derelict since the private hospital was in use.

Karyn said that in the third phase of development, a detailed planning application has been put forward for that proportion of the 73 new homes.

This phase will be seven four-bedroom terraced townhouses – which will be made using modern methods of construction (MMC) – an alternative to the traditional house-building practices.

The homes will be built off-site in Derby by company TopHat, and within four weeks shipped to Maidstone where they will be inserted.

"Phase three will be retaining the hotel, and building six MMC houses plus one duplex apartment," Karyn explained.

She added: "I am very passionate about historic buildings, so I'm very excited to finish this one.

"You can see the potential in the show home of what it's going to be like."

The 73 homes will be made up of a mix of flats and houses for market rent, shared ownership, social rent and discount market sale.

Some of the homes have already been put on the market, with prices ranging from a one-bedroom flat at £177,500, two-bedroom flat at £252,000 and a four-bedroom house at £500,000.