A commemorative plaque scheme to immortalise Maidstone’s most famous sons and daughters is set to be launched by the borough council.

The heritage, culture and leisure committee approved the proposal this week, which it says could raise the County Town’s cultural and historical profile both locally and nationally.

A blue plaque scheme, run by English Heritage, has operated in London for more than 150 years to celebrate the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked.

Back in June, 47 new blue plaques were unveiled around the country to mark BBC Music Day, including one in the Royal Star Arcade, which commemorates the legacy of musician David Bowie, who often performed in the town during the 1960s. Now the council wants to launch its own scheme, warning that allowing plaques to be installed without local authority input “can be detrimental to the architectural landscape and detract from, rather than enhance, commemorations”.

Under the proposals, residents can nominate people by filling out a form, but must meet certain requirements. Guidance suggests the nominated person should have died at least 10 years ago and be sufficiently famous to be recognised by future generations, with their achievements having made a lasting contribution.

Furthermore, the building to which the plaque is fixed must be directly related to the person, who must have lived or worked there for at least five years, according to the proposals.

Alternatively, an event can be commemorated, as long as it happened at least 25 years ago.

The process would be funded by the applicants themselves, rather than the council, with costs including £500 for the making of the plaque, around £200 for installing and any legal costs such as compensating the building owner.

As well as the Bowie plaque, Maidstone also boasts monuments to other historical figures, including essayist and critic William Hazlitt, artist William Alexander, First World War nurse Edith Cavell, and recognition of the time diarist Samuel Pepys stayed at the Old Bell Inn in Gabriels Hill.