Maidstone Borough Council has approved £3.53 million from developer contributions towards a new hospice and community care hub in Linton. The charity still needs to raise around £12 million.
Plans for a new Heart of Kent Hospice in Linton have moved a step forward after Maidstone Borough Council approved £3.53 million towards building it.
The money comes from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a charge paid by developers that councils spend on the infrastructure needed to support new homes and growth.
The hospice says the award means it has now secured more than a third of the £18.5 million cost of the project. It still needs to raise a further £12 million.
What is planned
The charity plans a purpose-built hospice and community palliative care hub in Linton, providing modern hospice facilities alongside wider health and care services for people across Maidstone borough and the surrounding area. Heart of Kent Hospice has cared for people with terminal illnesses, and their families, for more than 35 years.
Ann-Marie Kelly, the hospice’s chief executive, said the funding would “future-proof the provision of outstanding palliative and end-of-life care for terminally-ill people in our community”.
“Our new hospice will be a community asset, where patients and their loved-ones will benefit from the expertise and compassion of our dedicated teams of colleagues and volunteers,” she said.
Councillor Tony Harwood, the council’s Cabinet Member for Planning Policy and Management, called the award “a major investment in the future of health and wellbeing services for our residents”.
“This is an excellent example of how developer contributions can be invested in infrastructure that delivers lasting benefits, both for current residents and future generations,” he said.
Where the rest of the money is going
The hospice award is part of a wider £13.8 million package of CIL spending approved by the council’s Cabinet. According to the council, it also includes funding towards:
- the expansion of Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School;
- improvements at Lenham Nursery School;
- a contribution to the One Maidstone Health Hub;
- improvements to Staplehurst Community Centre and Bredhurst Village Hall;
- a new puffin crossing in Nettlestead;
- the creation of Maidstone East Park.
The projects were chosen through a competitive bidding round and judged on their strategic importance, how deliverable they are and how they support the growth set out in Maidstone’s adopted Local Plan, the council said.
How to support the appeal
Details of the future hospice, and how to donate, are on the Heart of Kent Hospice website.
Heart of Kent Hospice awarded £3.53m towards new hospice in Linton Quiz
5 questions
Sources
- Maidstone Borough Council press release SS/088/26, issued 5 October 2026 under embargo to 00:01 on 7 October 2026
- Maidstone Borough Council: CIL Bidding Round 2 allocations (council decision)
- Heart of Kent Hospice: The future of Heart of Kent Hospice
Main picture: artist’s impression of the new hospice. Picture: Heart of Kent Hospice.