Up to 200 homes could be built on a floodplain next to the M20.

Plans have surfaced for a development called The Nurseries on a field along the A2070 Kennington Road, next to fragrance factory Givaudan.

It is set to feature wetlands in areas that are at high risk of flooding while the homes would be built in low-risk areas.

But neighbours argue the area is being over-developed, with hundreds of homes already being built nearby.

Developer Quinn Estates has revealed the plans in a screening assessment report to Ashford Borough Council (ABC) - the first stage of the planning process.

It is where a developer asks the council if an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required to be submitted with a planning application or not.

A spokesperson for Quinn Estates explained: “A screening opinion has been submitted to the council, as required by the EIA regulations to determine the exact information required to form part of a future planning application or applications.

"The land has been subject to detailed survey work and has been submitted into the Ashford Call for Sites for the delivery of new homes and a wetland to deliver nutrient neutrality.

"A public consultation, providing further information regarding the proposals and seeking the views of local people, will follow in due course.”

A call for sites is a way to suggest sites that might be available for development in the future as ABC is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan for 2041.

Reacting to the news, residents in nearby Willesborough Lees fear more homes could make the area overcrowded.

Vera Dale believes there is too much development in Ashford.

The 89-year-old said: “I think it is wrong they are building on all of these sites. I have lived here for 24 years and the wildlife has decreased so much and it's not right.

“I have seen a lot of changes in that time and I fear for the young. The traffic on Kennington Road has become horrendous, I think we are overbuilding now.“

Richard Manning, 55, is concerned about what building on the floodplain might mean for surrounding homes.

He said: “Most people around here are unhappy about all the development. If they build more homes as well as the ones at Crown Hill View, it is going to be over-diversified.

“It's a flood plain and it's quite often underwater. If they build homes on it, there will be nowhere for the water to go and it's going to push it elsewhere. There is not enough road infrastructure, shops, or buses to cope with more people.

“You can't get a dentist in Ashford, I have to go to Whitstable, and I have to drive to Wye to go to the doctor. I know the council needs to build more to meet targets but where does it end?”

After hearing of the plans, Chloe Mayes who has lived nearby for nine years, said the prospect of more development is “devastating”.

She said: “Kennington Road is busy enough as it is - adding more cars would be ridiculous.

“There is not the infrastructure like schools or doctors to go with it. I know my house used to be a field but it is really disappointing to hear.”

While the 28-hectare field earmarked for the 200 homes is a floodplain, a report prepared by Iceni Projects Limited on behalf of Quinn Estates Ltd says this will not be an issue as the dwellings will be built away from high-risk areas.

It adds: “There would be no net loss of floodplain storage within the site.

“Within the proposed residential area, sustainable drainage systems would be used to manage and reduce water run-off.”

The report states the dwellings will be delivered in the form of houses predominantly two storeys high, which will be accessed via a new junction off the A2070.

A wetland will be created within the northern section of the site, which is the area most prone to flooding.

An ecological area featuring a woodland would also be created in the southwest corner.

‘I know the council needs to build more to meet targets but where does it end?’

Hundreds of new homes have already been built nearby with the first phase of Conningbrook Lakes, featuring 300 homes, almost complete.

Plans for phase two including another 170 homes have been put forward by Brett Aggregates.

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Meanwhile, the first phase of the Crown Hill View development in Kennington, featuring 288 homes, has started.

Outline permission for another 437 as part of phase two has been approved, but full plans are yet to be submitted.