"Ambitious" plans have been put forward to build hundreds of homes and a leisure space on a former Royal Mail sorting office.

Maidstone council has developed proposals to regenerate the 3.5-acre site as part of a £50million investment.

The authority says the development at the sorting office, as well as Cantium House in Sandling Road, will have around 220 "high-quality" homes, including a range of apartments and homes for sale and rent, with available parking underground.

If everything goes ahead, it would have new split-level piazzas with flexible commercial, retail, restaurant and café space to create a destination with alfresco dining.

There would also be courtyard squares, gardens and space for a new medical facility at the site, which is next to Maidstone East railway station.

The council says the project would bring "considerable benefits" to the vitality and viability of the town centre and borough.

Two public consultations are being held later this month for people to view the plans and share their views.

The first is on Tuesday, March 14, at Maidstone Library in James Whatman Way, Maidstone, between 1pm and 4pm.

The second is at the main hall at Maidstone United Reform Church in Week Street, Maidstone, between 5.30pm and 8.30pm on Thursday, March 16.

A spokesman said: "We will be holding two public exhibition events close to the former Royal Mail Sorting Office – Maidstone East Regeneration to seek feedback from the community and to provide an opportunity for local residents and businesses to come and speak to us."

For more information on the evolving proposals, you can click here.https://maidstoneeastformerrm.com.

The council bought the former sorting office for £2.5m towards the end of last year.

Previously the four-storey building was earmarked for a new council headquarters for the borough and county council, who jointly bought the site in 2016.

They had planned to build a new £50m HQ, which would have included a public plaza, gym, green roof and terrace, along with a 443-space car park.

Maidstone council would have inhabited about a third of the office space and would have spent around £15m on the project.

Shops including John Lewis and Asda had both eyed up the former Royal Mail building but plans never materialised.

The sorting office was closed in 2013 with 250 redundancies as part of a £70m modernisation programme which saw operations moved to Medway. It was one of four Kent sites to shut, along with Dartford, Canterbury and Tonbridge.