Plans to turn Gillingham’s former NatWest bank into a HMO have been approved.

Part of the empty High Street bank would become a HMO with 13 one-bedroom flats.

The HMO will also have shared kitchens, communal areas, cycle storage and a rooftop terrace for residents.

The ground floor would be retained for commercial use, which is currently on the market for £16,000 a year.

NatWest closed the branch last June, claiming that counter transactions dropped by 41% between 2017 and 2019.

The HMO plans were first submitted in August and sought permission for 17 one-bed flats, before the number was reduced.