The town council will spend more than £1.1 million on a historic Market Place property which will soon be home to their offices and a permanent exhibition space for the Magna Carta.

After concerns were raised last week about £60,000 of the budget being spent on the Magna Carta Legacy Project, the Faversham News can exclusively reveal the details, and the fact thousands more will be splashed out.

Within the next year, the council will move from the Alexander Centre to 12 Market Place, a property which has been at the centre of controversy over the last three years.

We will also see the launch of the legacy project, a permanent public exhibition showcasing the town’s fascinating collection of ancient charters, including the 1300 Magna Carta.

“I hope people in Faversham will be excited about this project and will welcome the town council’s efforts to preserve Faversham’s heritage." - Mayor Nigel Kay

The proposals were discussed during a private session of the budget meeting on Monday, January 18 where councillors voted 13 to one in support when the public and press had left the room.

Once the Stead and Simpson shoe shop, 12 Market Place, became a hot topic of conversation when Costa applied to move in but it sat derelict for almost two years before becoming the YMCA charity shop.

Now the town council hopes that the central Grade-II listed building, right opposite the Guildhall, will now have a forever use which will be enjoyed by residents and visitors and enhance the town’s tourism offering.

They also hope that having the offices in the middle of town will make them more accessible and active to the public and it would mean the council will “play an enhanced role to ensure a prosperous future for the town”.

Mayor of Faversham Cllr Nigel Kay (Con) said: “I hope people in Faversham will be excited about this project and will welcome the town council’s efforts to preserve Faversham’s heritage, attract further visitors to the town and to provide accessible offices for people needing the council’s help.”

He added they had received a lot of positive feedback on the plans, but looked forward to hearing the public’s views.

Last year saw more than 20,000 people pour into town on the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta where an interactive exhibition took centre stage at the Alexander Centre.

There were also medieval re-enactments, special markets and concerts, with vast numbers from all corners of the community and most Faversham businesses taking part but it is not just the Magna Carta that the legacy project will be showcasing and preserving.

Faversham is home to one the largest collection of municipal charters, alongside artifacts such as the 400-year-old town maces, which chart the development of local democracy in England from 1252 with the appointment of the first mayor.

They will now all have a secure, permanent home in 12 Market Place.

Former mayor Cllr David Simmons (Con) says that all these plans are working towards the vision of Faversham 2020, the town’s action plan which was devised in 2012.

He said: “The people of Faversham wanted the town council to get more involved and more active. That is the journey we are on.

“We are heading towards the vision of Faversham 2020.”

This “vision” includes the retention and enhancement of Faversham’s uniqueness as a compact, historic Kent market town, to ensure the town council leads the way in delivering the things local people want and need, support the local economy, lead on the Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan, nurture the town as a place that promotes healthy living, ensure Faversham is an easy place for everyone to get to and explore and run efficiently and effectively, committing to exploring, understanding and servicing the needs, wants and aspirations of local people.

Cllr Ben Martin (Independent) was the lone wolf during the decision-making session in January.

He was the only one to vote against the plans.

This week Cllr Martin branded it a “vanity project”.

He said: “I’m now going to fall to the back of the line of people who are opposed to this.

“In principle, I think it’s a good idea but the way they have gone about it is not acceptable. It should have been down to the public to decide.

“A lot of people in Faversham do not have a lot of money, so for their town council to announce that they are spending over a million on a building that already exists inside the Alexander Centre is a grotesque waste of money.

“If I’m wrong and the public support this project, then I’ll admit I was wrong, but they should have been given the opportunity to have their say.

“There is a consultation for most projects across the town, but not having one for something as serious as this is not acceptable.”

Pick up your copy of the Faversham News to read about the history of 12 Market Place, the charters which will be on display and comments from the chairman of the Alexander Centre Trust chairman Hilary Riva.