Plans to turn a pub into a block of seven flats will be debated again after councillors voted against allowing an officer to decide on the details.

The Man of Kent in Wrotham Road, Gravesend, has been earmarked for five two bedroom flats, one single bedroom flat, and one self-contained studio, spread across the three-storey building and a two-storey side extension.

Last night Gravesham Borough Council’s Planning Regulatory Board was expected to vote in favour of approving the application and delegating responsibility to the council’s interim development manager to negotiate improvements to the design and layout of the scheme.

But councillors voted against the officers’ recommendations and the application will now be discussed at a future meeting of the board.

Dating from 1843, the Victorian structure is one of the most well known in the town thanks to its striking painted exterior – once a giant St George’s Flag and then green. Council papers said it closed for business just before Christmas. However, it has now relaunched under new management and is open for business.

Apartments on the upper floors are still in use but there are only three on-site parking spaces.

Two people who live opposite have submitted objections to the plans citing concerns over the amount of sunlight that will reach their properties when the extensions are built, but the proposal is still expected to be approved.

Gravesham council planners believe the additional flats would “offer a worthwhile contribution to meeting local housing needs”, although admit the loss of commercial usage is “unfortunate”.

It would mark the latest in an increasingly long line of old Gravesham pubs being converted into housing.

The Pilot in East Terrace, Gravesend, has been closed since 2012 and is subject to a plan to create two one bedroom apartments and one two bedroom home.

The Stork At Rest in Stacey Close, shut in 2013 and has been subject to an application to have it demolished for homes.

The Battle of Britain in Coldharbour Road, Northfleet, could also be built on, although no planning application has yet been submitted.

It was pulled down under the cover of night in October by demolition company Putnam Construction Services, by order of the Caldecotte Group, the planning consultancy acting on behalf of Brakspear.

Caldecotte director Paul Sturgess admitted the illegal tear down was a mistake due to a miscommunication, but the firm did have workers on the site just before Christmas conducting groundwork surveys ahead of a planning application.