Councillors in have formally approved plans to convert a former supermarket into a new mental health services hub.

Medway Council's planning committee unanimously supported the “change of use” application for Britton Farm in Gillingham town centre, a building which housed Budgens until its closure in March 2017.

It will now be used by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) as an office, while services will be provided to patients in treatment, physical health checks, and family therapy rooms.

As a result, Canada House in Gillingham and Elizabeth House in Rainham will no longer be used by KMPT once the conversion work has been completed.

The building is owned by Medway Council, and up to £850,000 of public money has been allocated to redevelop the site. There will also be office space for some “small start-up businesses” at Britton Farm.

Concerns were raised about the impact on parking provision at the meeting on Wednesday (May 29), but the scheme was supported despite initial objections about losing retail space in the town centre.

Cllr Adam Price (Lab) said: “I do welcome this development. It isn’t what the high street traders and users would have wanted originally – but we’re a year or so down the track now since Budgens occupied that.

“That western end of the high street is actually suffering from the lack of footfall we used to get from the store, so I do welcome it.”

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