An 18th century farmhouse is set to be demolished after being taken off the National Heritage List.

Bodkin Farmhouse, on Thanet Way, has been listed at Grade II since 1977 but has since become an eyesore after suffering from vandalism and falling into a state of disrepair.

The process has been driven forward by land agents Mather Jamie on behalf of the property's current owner, who now hopes to use the site to build new housing.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport took the rare step of de-listing the property, which was a farmhouse until the 1970s, after it was judged to have lost its claim to "special architectural and historic interest".

Elizabeth Lewin, rural practice surveyor for Mather Jamie said: "This has been a long and complex journey, as removing a property from the Heritage List is a process which is not usually undertaken, for the obvious reason that properties on The List should be protected.

"However, the whole point of The List is that it should reflect properties with architectural and historic merit, and we successfully argued on behalf of our client that this could sadly no longer be said of Bodkin Farmhouse."

A Historic England spokesman said the decision had been based purely on the building's historic and architectural interest, which had been diminished by modernisation attempts by previous owners.

The spokesman said: "Historic England was asked to assess Bodkin Farm for removal from the List.

"Although the building had 18th-century origins, it had been altered in the later 20th century and key internal features had been lost.

"Overall the cumulative effect of the alterations to the building resulted in the loss of special architectural and historic interest and so we recommended that the building should be de-listed and the Government agreed.

"The condition of a building is not a factor taken into consideration when assessing whether a building has special architectural and historic interest."

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