Maidstone is set to get a world class athletics facility after the borough council backed an £800,000 project in Sutton Valence.

After 25 years in the planning stages the council’s planning committee backed a scheme to develop a floodlit eight-lane track in the grounds of Sutton Valence School last week.

Work has already begun to find contractors to carry out the 10-week building programme and it is hoped ground could be broken by the start of October and the track will be ready for competition by next summer.

It will be Maidstone’s first ever purpose-built athletics facility and has been brought to fruition by a three-way partnership between the council, the school and Medway & Maidstone Athletics Club.

The school is providing £500,000 while the council is contributing £294,000.

Local people will be able to use the facilities through club or school events.

The news comes after the recent announcement that the school is to become an official training centre for the London 2012 Olympics.

M&M chairman, Paul Alcock, said: “We’ve been trying to secure a top-class training facility like this for 25 years – this will be one of the best athletics tracks in the south of England.”