Permission has been granted to turn a private members’ club into a block of flats in a town centre.

The former home Ivy Leaf in Delamark Road, Sheerness – which backs onto the high street – is to be torn down and replaced with a three-story complex of 12 apartments.

The initial paperwork was filed four years ago, in September 2019 but was given approval on Friday, August 25.

The existing club was described previously by developers Prime Building Consultants Ltd as “unsafe and potentially dangerous”.

The planning documents state: “The site as it currently stands, does not reflect a safe, happy community. Broken glass, barbed wire and long, dark alleyways make the site feel unsafe and potentially dangerous.

“The proposed development will be made secure by design and is why a robust courtyard has been included.”

Instead the scheme will replace it with six one-bedroom and six two-bedroom flats, plus nine parking spaces.

The plans were met with opposition with neighbours, worried about overcrowding, their properties being overlooked, and the lack of facilities such as GP services.

The private members’ club had been through a few changes before its closure.

It was originally a live music venue before owner Colin Barrett tried to convert it into a pie-and-mash restaurant.