A former adult education centre has gone under the auctioneer’s hammer for £220,000.

The building in Green Street, Gillingham, which had been used for adult education for more than 40 years, was sold at auction on Monday.

The decision to sell it was made by councillors because of high maintenance costs. The guide price was £220,000 to £230,000.

The lot included workshops, offices and garages at the back of the three-storey building. Details of the buyer have not been revealed.

Auctioneer John Stockey said: "As previously mentioned, there is a serious amount of bricks and mortar here for the price of a semi-detached house, and there could well be development potential, subject to all the necessary consents."

The adult education classes which were held at the site have now been spread across other centres in Medway, and it is also believed the top floors of a building in Canterbury Street will be used by the council for adult education sessions from September.

The nursery which used to meet at the centre also has a new home. The Adult Education Pre-School faced an uncertain future when the building was put up for sale.

Parents of the 55 children at the pre-school and nine members of staff started a petition to stay at the centre and vowed to do all they could to keep it open.

Nursery supervisor Sue Hedley said a new building had been found for the nursery in nearby Canterbury Street and, if all goes well, the children and staff will start the new term there in September.

The former fire station sold at the same auction for £30,000 more than its guide price.

The hot property in Green Street, Gillingham, went under the hammer on Monday for a guide price of £40,000 to £45,000.

The station was closed in 2011 after a shake-up of the county’s fire service.

The retained-firefighter station was mothballed under Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s cost-cutting proposals but fire chiefs said new full-time stations could be built elsewhere in Medway.

The premises, which still has the old-fashioned folding red doors, sold for £71,000. Details of the buyer have not been revealed.

The two-storey building was marketed as having potential for residential or commercial conversion, subject to all the necessary planning consents.