A bid to allow up to 18 flats to be built in a former office block has been approved despite concerns related to overcrowding and parking.

London-based Konuralp investments were granted permission to change Pear Tree House, Gillingham, into 16 flats in April 2023 but applied to create a further two apartments in November.

The building, which sits on the corner of West Street and Jeffrey Street, will see the office spaces turned into 18 one-bed flats, two of which will be in a converted loft space.

The application went before the planning committee on February 14 after Cllr Louwella Pretner (Lab) asked for it to be considered by councillors.

In her letter of objection, Cllr Prenter raised concerns about the proposal, questioning officer’s estimates there were 102 available parking spaces nearby.

She said that doctors on-call spaces had been included in the number of free spaces which would not be able to be used in reality.

According to Cllr Prenter the area is already overdeveloped and, if the site is supposed to be car-free housing then permits should not be granted to residents in the new flats, as has been the case in other areas.

Speaking at the meeting, she also raised concerns about the fact there was no place for waste storage - although a condition of the accepted proposal was waste storage be added.

Cllr Prenter said: “I appreciate we have a housing shortage, however we’re not going to solve Medway’s housing crisis by packing 18 flats into this development with potentially 36 people, possibly with cars, in an already congested area.”

When it was an office, the site did have parking, however these spaces have not been included in the application.

Members said they would be more likely to support the scheme if the parking spaces as part of the wider site were retained for use by residents.

However, as these spaces were not part of the application site this couldn’t be a condition for approval.

The application for the six flats was recommended for approval by planning officers, who say the closeness to Gillingham town centre means cars are not needed for residents and parking permits will not be granted to people who live in the new flats.

Councillors on the committee shared Cllr Prenter’s concerns, but, due to the fact the previous 16 flats had been approved, officers said there would be difficulty in justifying refusal.

Conditions were added that the site must include waste storage facilities and the residents of the flats would not be granted parking permits.

The application was approved with 11 votes in favour and four against.