A shop that has served its neighbourhood for 120 years could be demolished to make way for housing.

The Payless Stores in Queens Road, Maidstone, is in the way of developers Texo Developments, which has an eye on building six homes in the gardens behind the property, bordering on St Simon Stock School.

The company needs to demolish the store and the flat above it to forge an access to the site, and build two two-storey, two-bedroom homes and four two-and-a-half-storey, three-bedroom homes.

The proposal has incensed neighbours and upset store manager Jeyaprakash Selvarajah,known as Jey, who has the building on a lease until November 2019.

Mr Selvarajah said: “It’s so sad. Many of my customers are elderly. They won’t be able to do the long walk to another shop. Some have been coming here for 50 or 60 years. They are very upset.”

Barbara Woodward, who lives opposite, said: “Once again a developer has seized an opportunity to build houses to gain profits at the expense of the local community. If the shop goes, where will the residents get their daily newspapers and other items they need?

“There are many elderly people living in this area who are extremely annoyed such a valuable service can be dismissed without any consideration being given to the needs of the present residents. This is certainly one planning application which should be refused.”

Customers have started a petition to oppose the plans, which can be signed in the shop.

There are also concerns about traffic safety.

Ken Turner of Shaftesbury Drive, told Maidstone council: “Queen’s Road at this point is already a dangerous pinch point, with the schools adding to the problem. A further exit and entry point on to the Queen’s Road would pose a significant additional hazard.”

Mr Selvarajah, who has run the store for two years and employs three staff, lives in a flat above the shop with his wife and two young daughters.

He said: “I don’t know what we will do if it closes.”

More details on planning application 16/507472.