A former industrial site which has been dormant for nearly a decade will be turned into 105 new houses and apartments after councillors approved plans.

The old Nova factory off Graveney Road in Faversham will become a series of one to four-bedroom homes.

It was previously a number of offices and warehouses used to manufacture garden furniture.

The buildings were vacated in 2009 and demolised in the summer of 2016, with the site since cleared for development.

Housebuilder Bellway said it will begin work on the site “shortly” with the first homes due to be ready in the spring.

It will be required to spend £1 million to improve Faversham’s infrastructure under Swale Borough Council’s conditions for approving the development, which will be named Nova.

It will spend £650,000 to improve primary and secondary education facilities in the area, while a further £141,225 will go towards improvements to the Millfield Play Area and Faversham Recreation Ground.

The company will invest £99,000 in NHS facilities, £27,000 on adult social care and £24,000 on libraries, plus £23,000 to limit damage to wildlife.

Chris Moore, managing director of Bellway’s Kent division, said: “This is a site which has been disused for a long time, so it makes sense for us to turn this into what we believe will become a thriving new community in the town.

“Developing brownfield sites is one of our responsibilities as a housebuilder, and this is a fantastic opportunity to turn what has become a disused site into a real asset for the local community.

“There is a demand for new homes in this area, and our planning team were conscious to include a range of different homes here, so we could provide a new home for all types of prospective buyers.”