Fears villagers could become plagued by noisy gym-goers “pumping out” loud music and taking up parking slots have been overruled.

The Co-op’s recent departure from its former home in West Kingsdown to a new larger, purpose-built store a few hundred metres down the road has left a row of empty shop fronts.

A raft of new businesses, including a new gym, barbers and hair salon, have all been earmarked to fill the vacant units along the parade in Hever Road.

Sevenoaks council’s development management committee met last Thursday (February 15) to decide the future of the site.

In a committee report published ahead of the meeting, the potential for gyms to be very noisy – from weight drop noise to “amplified music” - was noted.

Cllr Ian Bosley, of West Kingsdown Parish Council, attended to speak against the plans.

He asked: “Will there be beat music pumping out together with the pounding of machines over most of the site?.

“This will surely permeate through the flats over and into the neighbouring properties – the 1960s buildings were not so good at sound insulation.

“If you're minded to approve this application then consider imposing an hours restriction, say 9am until 7 at night.”

Prior to the meeting, the parish council objected to the plans, as well as eight residents.

Other concerns related to parking and access issues for buses and other large vehicles with some expressing their preference would have been for an “upmarket” restaurant instead of the three businesses proposed.

Cllr Emily Bulford (Con), who represents the village on Sevenoaks council, also opposed the plans.

“While residents are keen to see new shops within our well used and much loved parade of shops, and would encourage that these are not left empty for longer than is necessary, they need to be the right shops,” she argued.

There are several flats above the building, all owned by the applicants for the development.

Under the plans, the shop row will be split in three - one part hosting a gym, another hosting a salon, and another hosting a barbers.

Cllr Bulford added: “An even bigger concern would be the use of music within the gym, it is unfair to residents living above this commercial unit to have to live with the music blaring and the bass associated with it, which can often be found in a gym setting to work out to.

“These buildings were built in the 1960s where acoustic measures are very different to what they are now.”

She added: “The parade of shops cannot cope with the parking as it stands, let alone adding more vehicles which will stay for longer periods of time.

However, the meeting also heard three residents wrote in to support the bid.

They liked the idea of a new gym and salon and felt such developments were “vital” for revitalising the area and that opposition to them might hinder chances for growth and regeneration.

Debating the proposals, Cllr Nick Varley (Lib Dem) asked the ward councillor if the three residents who wrote in to back the plans were an “extreme minority view,” adding “there obviously is some support for this proposal”.

Cllr Bulford responded: “There is some support, there are more that are against this application however I think the noise is a really big concern for the residents that live above.”

Concerns were also raised about the fact that toilets and fire escapes were not specified on the plans.

Buta planning officer explained: “They are not shown on the plans but they don’t need to be for the sake of this application, because the internal layout doesn’t require permission.

“However from discussions with the applicant we can be pretty assured they will be putting toilets in.”

Cllr John Edwards-Winser (Con) raised concerns about parking. He said: “I can see that the gym is going to cause quite a parking problem round there.”

Behind the Hever Road site there were previously more than 20 parking spaces, but recent planning approval for four houses in the car park by the same owner has removed them.

Councillors considered adding in a restriction on the gym’s opening hours - planned to be 7am - 9pm, seven days a week.

However, members raised concerns about that plan, with Cllr Varley saying: “I’m very uncomfortable with these sort of time restrictions.”

“My son goes to another gym, it’s open 24 hours a day – he goes at 11.30 at night most nights.

“So the restrictions we’re putting on here are already quite unusual I would say,” he said, pointing out that many gym users go either very early or very late.

No condition on opening hours was introduced - but the owners will be forced to keep the gym door shut, and to undertake noise and acoustics surveys.

Councillors voted to approve the plans with 11 votes in favour, two against and one abstention.