A car park and former bomb site set for conversion into flats has been labelled a “fantastic improvement”.

The Georgian terrace of Albion Place in Ramsgate will soon be filled in with 13 apartments in a move welcomed by councillors.

In December 2021 planning permission was granted for a five-storey block of nine flats on the site, which was bombed during World War Two, leaving the terrace partially empty.

The space between the end of the terrace and the former council offices - already being converted into homes - has been used as a car park since.

But developer Arcvelop – a firm with London and Valencia links – reapplied earlier this year to instead build a block of the same height consisting of 13 flats.

Five letters of objection have since been received against the plans.

Neighbour Rod McLay wrote that in the summer, parking in the area is already “impossible”.

“There is insufficient parking for the number of units being built,” he added - noting only five new bays will be built.

Carine Bishop wrote in to add that it would look “out of character with the existing buildings on either side which are only four stories”.

At a meeting of Thanet District Council’s (TDC) planning committee on December 18, politicians met to hash out the details.

Recommending members vote to back the plans, a planning officer said the new building would “essentially replicate the three terrace blocks” which would be there had the site not been bombed during the war.

Marc Turnier, founder of Arcvelop, attended to say his firm upped the number of flats from nine to 13 because the previous amount “would have been overpriced unaffordable homes, most likely second homes which we have been sold on the open market”.

He stressed their desire to “Restore this Grade II-listed Georgian terrace back to its former glory, enhancing the street scene along Albion Place and creating a development that residents and neighbours can take pride in”.

Mark Fitzpatrick attended to object, telling the committee the plans would “cause unnecessary traffic onto the Cottage Road area.

“We want to have more and better facilities for residents of the Eastcliff area, we want better parking, and this development will bring more strain.”

But councillors greeted the plans enthusiastically.

“I’m pleased to see that this old bomb site, although tarmacked effectively, is to have a development on it that suits the rest of Albion place,” said Cllr Steve Albon (Lab).

He added: “It’s a brownfield site – this is what we should be looking at and should be supporting.”

Cllr Paul Moore (Con) said: “They are the old council offices, they were run down.

“They weren’t being used and to see them being repurposed, to see where the bomb crater was for those houses to be placed and improve the vista of that area, will be a fantastic improvement.”

Cllr Rebecca Wing (Green) hailed it as a “great development, it’s a brownfield site so we have to welcome those sites coming forward”.

However, she was perturbed by the lack of affordable housing - with none set to be provided - and parking concerns.

“I’m just really worried about the access in and out of Cottage Road because that is a very dangerous junction.

“Although it is uphill, you get to the flat bit people still fly up and down there,” she added.

“It’s really good to see a brownfield site being developed but I am disappointed about the social housing”.

But a council officer stressed that, as the development would be in the town centre, technically no parking needs to be provided under council policy.

Viability studies accepted by the council also found that no affordable housing could be provided while keeping the development financially viable.

The committee voted to approve the plans, subject to planning chiefs agreeing with the developer on financial contributions to local public services.