Maidstone council has granted planning permission for a Next fashion and home store at Eclipse Park, despite fears the out-of-town location would adversely affect more central businesses.

Councillors were split with six for and six against, meaning approval was granted for the site close to junction 7 of the M20 on the casting vote of planning committee chairman Cllr Richard Lusty.

Planning officers recommended refusal of the joint application by Next Group and Gallagher Properties, because it was contrary to the council’s adopted policy.

The council’s retail experts, DTZ, predicted it would result in a 2.9% reduction in “comparison goods” sales in the town centre, with Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser likely to suffer.

But some members felt Next’s proposal to invest £9m in the store, creating 120 part-time jobs and 19 full-time posts was too good to miss, even though the company will close its Mall Chequers store, where 52 posts will be lost. The Fremlin Walk store will stay.

Council officers said the company had not followed the required sequential test necessary to look for town centre sites first: Citing the former Somerfield site in King Street, the former Army and Navy store in Week Street and the former Royal Mail sorting office at Maidstone East as possible alternative locations.

But Ian Allsop, regional estates manager for Next, said that to re-locate to sites where the profit margin would be less would be “perverse”, adding: “It’s Eclipse Park or nowhere

'It’s Eclipse Park or nowhere'

Cllr Chris Garland (Con), the leader of the council, said: “Clearly, Next will be an attraction for Maidstone.

“It would be ridiculous to pretend there won’t be an adverse affect on the town centre, but it won’t be a significant effect.”

Cllr Fran Wilson (Lib Dem) disagreed. She argued not only would there be the immediate effect of lost trade, but going against their own policy to approve an out-of-town site would send the wrong message to existing businesses.

Maidstone Town Centre Management declared itself “extremely disappointed” at the decision.