Plans to overhaul empty high street shops into flats – despite concerns bedrooms will be “too small” – have been given the green light.

The scheme will see the vacant USC and Sports Direct stores in Ramsgate revamped into 31 new homes with a shared private gym, four shops and business space.

The site the national chains previously occupied has sat empty since August last year, after the businesses upped sticks to The Link retail park next to Westwood Cross.

Architects who designed the scheme, from Kudos Architectural Design and Surveying, told Thanet District Council in their planning proposal: “The era of large shops is sadly now in decline and in order to survive as a commercial shopping centre these large buildings must seek alternative sustainable uses.”

“It is therefore necessary for the retail aspect to reduce in size and find more sustainable uses that will help them to become more flexible in these challenging times.”

The proposals, which were submitted last November, add two new floors and a four-storey rear extension, as well as converting the ground floor and basement into shops and a new gymnasium, operated by Blitz Training Academy.

Drawings show the gym will be equipped with a weights area, 10-metre track, spa, massage room and flotation tank.

Furthermore, a business suite will providing “adhoc business desk space for the community”, the proposals say.

There will be 14 one-bed and 17 two-bed homes, with 30% of those allocated for affordable housing.

Meanwhile, the developers “recognise the development does not have access to an external play space” however, they promise to provide a separate residents’ room, including a games room.

In addition, the current shopfront will be replaced with a “traditional design”.

The Ramsgate Heritage Design Forum "fundamentally” objected to the proposals, claiming the layout of the flats needed to be re-drawn to create "fewer but better-proportioned units".

Meanwhile, the town council had called for the project to be refused, as members believed the bedrooms in the larger homes would be "too small".

The district council this week approved the works on the grounds “there would be some modest economic and social benefits, with minimal environmental harm”.

“The proposed development has been designed to respect the host building and setting which is within a conservation area,” they continued.