Permission has been granted to convert the first and second floors of an office building in a town centre into a four-bedroom House of Multiple Occupation (HMO).

The accommodation at 24 King Street in Maidstone will include two bedrooms on each floor, but will also provide two shared bathrooms, a separate toilet, a shared kitchen area and a shared communal lounge.

Maidstone council has granted permission for a change of use from office to living space, but on condition that the applicant, Nas Enterprize Ltd, provides further details on the appropriate storage of waste bins.

The property would retain its shopfront on the ground floor.

The applicant said that the office space had been empty for some time and that the sustainable location, right in the heart of town, would be better used for accommodation.

The property is part of a terrace of Grade II-listed buildings, erected in the 18th century, but the conversion will require only minor internal alterations and will not affect the outward appearance of the building.

There were no objections raised by the public to its conversion.

The council has previously promised to develop new policies to better control the spread of HMOs, which has become a major feature in the town in recent years, but so far nothing has materialised.

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Full details of the King Street application can be found on the council website, under reference number 24/504284.