Maidstone barracks redevelopment hit by school plans doubts

Plans to turn an army barracks in Maidstone into a site for 1,300 houses may have hit a serious obstacle.

Invicta Barracks is due to be closed so the 100 acres (40 hectares) of Ministry of Defence land can be used for homes.

But Kent County Council (KCC) has flagged serious concerns about the secondary school promised for the site.

The Ministry of Defence barracks, home to the 36 Engineers Regiment and the King's Gurkha Engineers, has been earmarked for closure in 2029.

A joint agreement between Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) suggests the site is suitable for 1,300 houses and community services, including a secondary school and shops, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has reported.

Papers put to the KCC planning applications committee state: "The county council has raised concerns that the size and shape of the land identified for the school would not typically be considered appropriate. 

"The component parts of a school are typically formed of rectangular shaped elements, such as playing pitches or buildings, which cannot be squeezed within irregularly sized or shaped sites."

Liberal Democrat borough councillor David Naghi said: "This is a town with a long and very proud military history and it would be a crying shame to lose that.

"We should be immensely proud of being a home to the Gurkhas, one of the finest fighting forces on the planet, and admire the values the soldiers and their families bring to this community."

Conservative chairman of MBC's planning committee, Denis Spooner, said: "I know there have been a lot of concerns raised about the Invicta site and it doesn't surprise me that KCC has raised some issues about the school but given a fair wind and if we acknowledge the Ministry of Defence intends to dispose of the site, I hope we can resolve them." 

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