There is anger and dismay among people that a cherished former Methodist chapel could be sold off for development.

The Wesley Centre in Commercial Road, Paddock Wood, is owned by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, but it has appeared on a list of assets that the council is considering selling off in the coming year as "surplus to requirements."

The centre is the last Victorian building in Paddock Wood still in public ownership.

Built in 1888, it ceased functioning as a place of worship in 1979 and was bought by the borough in 1996 as a community centre, after a campaign led by the former mayor, Ruth Baker, and her husband, Dr John Baker, a local GP, re-opening in 1998.

It is currently home to the Community Storehouse food bank.

The chairman of Paddock Wood Town Council, Cllr Meryl Flashman, said: "The Community Storehouse provides a much needed service to the town, which sadly is becoming more necessary.

"It's very difficult to think of a suitable alternative venue for it in Paddock Wood if the Wesley Centre were to go."

The centre is also home to Heritage Paddock Wood, which has plans to use it to showcase the history of the area, possibly as a satellite of the new Amelia Scott Arts and Heritage Centre in Tunbridge Wells.

Cllr Flashman said: "The town council met last Monday and voted unanimously to oppose the sell-off.

"We are grateful that our four borough councillors for the area - Cllrs Rodney Atkins, Suzanne Wakeman, Matthew Bailey and Ray Moon - were also present at the meeting and all said they would support us in opposition.

"The Wesley Centre was bought by the borough council to serve the people of Paddock Wood. That service is still needed."

Cllr Flashman said the building was of historic importance for the town.

She said: "It has within it the oldest memorial plaque in the town to those who fell in the First World War."

Paddock Wood recently completed its Neighbourhood Plan, which is currently with a government planning inspector for review before it can be declared "made".

Cllr Flashman said: "The plan is quite clear that one of the key policies is to retain the Wesley Centre - and when the plan was submitted, the borough council did not object to that."

Cllr Flashman admitted the centre had lost some of its amenity value after the borough fenced off the green area at the rear of the property.

She said: "There used to be a permissive footpath across the green space from Old Kent Road to Commercial Road; of course that is no longer possible now the borough has fenced it off.

The borough has previously considered developing just the rear green space, but those plans were also opposed by the community and came to nothing.

The centre has a small hall to the rear which is a 1950s addition.

It is used by playgroups and can be hired by the public for events such as children's birthday parties - though Cllr Flashman said: "It's not in the best decorative order because the borough has done nothing to maintain it."

Paddock Wood is soon to get its own purpose-built community centre on the Memorial Field. The town council is due to receive the keys from the contractor Baxall in a few weeks. But the building is a long way off ready and has still to be fitted out.

Cllr Flashman said: "I don't believe the new centre will in any way be in competition with the Wesley Centre - they serve a different need."

However the new centre, which is costing £4m has put the town council into debt and forced it to hike up its precept, leaving it in no position to offer to buy the Wesley Centre from the borough.

Jeremy Thompson is the treasurer of Heritage Paddock Wood, which was founded in January 2018 to promote the historic and cultural offer of the town.

He said: "The Wesley Centre is most certainly not surplus to requirements.

"Besides ourselves and the vital food bank, it is used by the Rainbows (young Brownies) and other groups."

Among them are yoga and tai chi groups.

He said: "Its central location in the heart of town is important for the customers of the Community Store House.

"And the green area behind is one of the few green spaces left in the town."

He said: "The borough council is carrying out an online consultaion of its Asset Management Plan 2023/24, in which it suggest disposing of the Wesley.

"We urge everyone to go online here and record their opposition to the sell-off."

Responses must be in by February 9.