Controversial plans to build flats on a town centre car park look set to be approved.

Proposals to build 51 apartments at Cockleshell Walk in Sittingbourne, near the town's Lidl, are to be decided upon this week.

If approved, three blocks, the tallest of which would be five storeys, would replace the car park off St Michael’s Road on the one-way system.

The scheme is part of Swale council’s town centre regeneration project, which includes building 170 affordable new homes on council-owned brownfield sites.

It has set up its own housing association, Rainbow Homes, to achieve this.

Some other parts of the scheme have already been completed including the nearby Light cinema complex, restaurants and a Travelodge.

Also completed in September 2019 was the multi-storey car park in Bourne Place to hold 317 cars, which is the reason Swale now feels it can do without the 65 parking spaces at the Cockleshell Walk car park.

The new development would have 28 residents’ parking spaces and each flat would have a cycle space.

Those parking spaces that are provided will each be fitted with an EV charging point and located in undercrofts to the buildings.

There is no available on-street parking, as St Michael’s Road, which forms part of the A2, has double yellow lines at this point.

Councillors have been recommended to approve the plans, which were first submitted last summer, at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday).

But one resident of Frederick Street, which backs onto the Cockleshell Walk car park, told KentOnline he was worried his children’s rooms would be overlooked by the flats.

Chris Goodborn, 47, said previously: “Even if these plans are rejected it will raise its head again as the council wants to build on the car park.

“So we want to move away from the area as the flats will be coming.”

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Meanwhile, another 26 apartments are proposed for a plot between Cockleshell Walk car park and railway line, near Laburnum Place after plans were lodged in February as part of a separate application by developers Ikon.

The block, on the site of a former pumping station, would be six-storeys high.

Elaine and Leslie Brazier, of Laburnum Place, said they feared the flats would overlook their home of 16 years.

They said: “We’ll have to keep our curtains shut 24/7 just so people can’t look into our home.

"Why should I live in the dark because they want to build flats?”

Elaine, 58, who works in a care home, also pointed to future parking battles as there would be just 13 spaces for the flats.