The five architects who have been shortlisted in a competition to redesign Maidstone High Street are in the County Town today to learn how to develop their ideas.

The lucky five – whittled down from 76 – will be advised by the cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Greer (Con), and experts from the Royal Institute of British Architects, on their designs for the town’s £4 million facelift.

They will then display more detailed versions of their plans at Maidstone Gateway from April 27.

We can exclusively reveal the five shortlisted ideas - click through our picture gallery above to see them all.

The judges were Cllr Greer; John Farmer from Kent County Council, Laurence Wood from the University of the Creative Arts, Robert Sakula, architectural adviser, Alison Broom, Maidstone council’s director of regeneration, and James Porter of the RIBA.