A former high street bank could be turned into an off-licence and flats.

The Strood branch of NatWest closed in March last yearand now it could be redeveloped into a new shop on the ground floor with flats on the upper floors.

Plans submitted to Medway Council show the ground floor would be changed into an off-licence, while the first floor would become three flats - two two-bedroom and one one-bedroom.

The second floor would become two flats, one one-bedroom and one two-bedroom in the loft space which would be converted.

New windows are also part of the designs to provide more light for the flats on the top floor.

Other changes include turning the areas which were the bank vaults at the back of the property into a parking area and cycle storage.

The application says efforts have been made to keep the designs in line with the character of the area while also renovating the building and providing a new amenity for Strood.

Although listed as an off-licence in the designs, the commercial space would need to apply for a licence to sell alcohol after the planning application for conversion had been approved.

Mr Piratheepan Kulanayagam has made the application, having also run the City Minimart in Cazeneuve Street, Rochester and Premier stores in Victoria Street, Gillingham and in Kennington.

The former NatWest closed and bosses blamed the huge increase in online banking and mobile banking, saying the number of customers coming in-person had declined to such a degree the branch was not viable.

The High Street in Strood also lost Lloyds Bank in April last year, the Barclays closed in 2021 and HSBC shut its doors in 2022.

The only remaining national bank in Strood is the Nationwide, however most everyday banking services are still able to be done at Strood Post Office in North Street.

Two doors down from the proposed redevelopment is the Strood Community Shop which was forced to close its doors in December because of a sudden rent hike which left it £20,000 in arrears.

The application for the former NatWest branch is currently under consideration by the council’s planning department.