A nine-storey block of flats is to be built in a town centre after a fourth bid to transform the site was approved.

Tonbridge and Malling councillors have approved plans for the development of 118 flats on the former car park of the River Centre, close to Tonbridge Town Lock on the River Medway.

The stepped development - which rises from seven to eight and then to nine floors - covers an area smaller than a standard football field, but will offer 22 bedsits, 27 one-bedroom flats, 24 two-bedroom flats and three three-bedroom flats for private sale, plus 20 one-bedroom and 22 two-bedroom affordable units - a total of 118 homes.

The site is not within a Conservation Area, but will be visible from Tonbridge Castle. Planning officers accepted that it would cause harm to the setting of the castle, but suggested that the harm would be “less than substantial”, especially as there is already an eight-storey block of flats nearby at Ashby’s Point.

The development site is, however, within an area at a high risk of flooding. For that reason, the ground floor of the block would be devoted to parking, with 27 spaces provided. All would have EV charging points.

That is significantly less than the 85 spaces provided by the former car park it is replacing, but planners accepted that it was not possible to provide basement parking because of the risk of flooding.

Instead, 118 cycle racks will be provided, with the site said to be highly sustainable - just a 350-metre walk from the High Street and half a mile from Tonbridge Station.

Amenity space for the residents will come in the form of two communal roof terraces, on the sixth and seventh floors. Each flat will also have its own balcony.

This is the fourth application for the site.

The first application, back in 2011, had received planning permission for 107 units and enough of a start was made to consider it “implemented” but it was never built out.

That permission remains in place and available to developers.

Two subsequent applications of 16 storeys and 13 storeys followed, with 252 homes and 183 homes. They were both refused as being “over-development”.

The Tonbridge Civic Society and the Tonbridge Historic Society continue to believe the latest proposal is also over-development, although the history society acknowledged “it had some merit over previous proposals”.

There were 62 letters of objection from individuals, many of whom were worried that inadequate parking provision on the new site would add to pressure on the surrounding sites.

But KCC said that since neighbouring developments were in private control, it was up to their managing agents to regulate parking.

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An objection from the management company of nearby Whitefriars Wharf pointed out that they had provided 100 spaces for 100 homes but parking had still been a problem and they had been forced to install electric gates and hire contractors to control the parking.

The applicants - River Centre Developments Ltd - will be required to make various off-site financial contributions: £208,432 towards various Tonbridge parks; £67,752 towards GP services; £56,864 towards primary education; £55,615 towards secondary education and with smaller contributions towards libraries, waste services and youth services.

The tallest element of the new block will be closest to Medway Wharf Road with it stepping down to the south.

The only vehicle access will be via Medway Wharf Road.

Local ward councillor Anna Cope (Green) spoke against granting permission, saying that Medway Wharf Road was already “massively congested, especially on a Sunday”.

Cllr Robert Oliver (Green) agreed, saying parking in the neighbourhood was “a really big problem,” but Cllr Gary Bridge (Lib Dem) said there was a price to pay for building on a brownfield site.

Cllr Adem Mehmet (Con) said: “We would be mad to turn this down - it is light years ahead of the previous applications.”

The voting was nine in favour with three abstentions. No votes were cast against.