Proposals to replace a disused garage with two family homes have been given the green light, despite fears over the safety of hedgehogs.

The application to redevelop the former River Garage in River, near Dover, was approved on May 20.

It will see the demolition of the existing building, which dates back to the 1940s, and the construction of two four-bedroom semi-detached homes.

But residents had raised concerns about the impact the work could have on the area’s hedgehog population.

Neighbour Helen Dear said in a letter to Dover District Council (DDC): “My concern is for the hedgehog population that has become well established over the years in the grounds.

“They regularly visit our gardens and have done so in our two years in the property.

“Care must be taken when the ground is cleared to preserve this endangered species.”

The newly approved plans come just over a year after a previous, more ambitious proposal to build six flats on the site was withdrawn following more than 100 objections.

At the time, residents criticised the design, with one saying it “looked like a prison” and warning it would “ruin the village”.

Commenting on the latest application, Mark Williams, questioned the timing of an ecology report carried out on the site, saying: “Unsure as to why a nature report is even done in the middle of winter – of course there would be nothing to report.

“I’m also concerned about how that asbestos roof will be taken down safely without any contamination.”

The revised application was significantly scaled back and resubmitted earlier this year.

In planning documents submitted by agents West Green Planning Ltd, the Dartford-based developers Atlanta Trust Ltd said: “The existing building is of little architectural merit and is an anomaly within the street scene.

“The redevelopment of this site presents an opportunity to create two high-quality residential dwellings.”

They added the new homes had been “sensitively developed to ensure they do not adversely impact neighbouring properties, their occupants, or amenity”.

Each property will include two parking spaces with electric vehicle charging points.

The site was once used as a pair of lock-up garages before being converted into an artist’s studio in 2018.

The studio use ceased in early 2023 after rental income ended and the tenant moved out.

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An earlier approved scheme in 2011 to redevelop the land never came to fruition.