Plans to turn a former snooker and pool hall into flats have been recommended for approval.

Proposals to redevelop the former Rileys Sports Bar in Green Street, Gillingham, into 57 flats have received officers’ approval and will be voted on next week.

Previously a cinema and bingo hall, the building was a pool and snooker club until it closed in 2017.

In 2022, Gravesend-based developer Kocak Properties Ltd applied to redevelop the site, turning it into 57 one, two, and three-bedroom flats over five floors.

The plans also show a gym, storage for up to 60 bikes and a communal garden for residents.

Medway Council planning officers have recommended approval with the condition of the developer providing just under £18,000 to mitigate the impact of the development on wildlife habitats.

There is also the condition that extensive testing be done to understand the levels of contamination on the site and ensure it’s safe for residents.

The proposals received 12 letters of objection from residents and the former councillor for Gillingham South, Clive Johnson, who stepped down last May.

Concerns were raised about noise and disruption during construction.

Other fears were that 57 flats would be excessive, would overcrowd the area, and, if used as student accommodation, could create problems around anti-social behaviour and late-night noise.

In a joint letter of residents from Green Street, they said: “We believe the proposed dwelling would significantly alter the fabric of the area and amount to serious ‘town cramming’ in what is an overpopulated street.”

They also asked the council, if the plans are approved, to put limits on when and how long works can be done and when HGV vehicles can arrive to the site to minimise disruption.

However Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti (Con) has written a letter of support for the proposal, saying he prioritised development on brownfield sites as long as it didn’t cause undue inconvenience to residents.

Planning officers have recommended the proposals should go ahead, saying the scale of the building would not be excessive or out of place for the area and said there would be no detrimental affect on people living nearby.

The plans will be discussed by the council's planning committee on February 14.