HOME improvement chain Wickes is investing £1.7m in Maidstone with the opening of a store on St Peter's Street.

The new 'Wickes Extra' is the biggest Wickes in Britain and its opening has created 31 new jobs for the local community.

The new store will be 61,000 sq ft and will include a showroom offering of kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and conservatories as well as building materials and tools for Tradesmen and serious ‘DIYers’.

Offering 2,400 more products than a standard Wickes store, the Maidstone store also features a Garden Project Centre, with a range of landscaping products, including paving, decking, walling, fencing, summerhouses, sheds, selected garden plants and garden chemicals.

Mark Edwards, store manager, said: "I look forward to opening our doors to the people of Maidstone next month.

“We know that once a customer has visited one of our stores they return time and time again to enjoy low prices, quality own brand products and practical advice."