A decision on a controversial 550-home plan is set to finally be made this year after developers launched an appeal.

The bid for homes in Kingsnorth, Ashford, was first submitted in 2015 - but for a much larger proposal of 750 homes.

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) green-lit the slimmed-down 550-home scheme in 2018 following a rethink by developers Pentland Homes and Jarvis Homes, but the project was never officially signed off due to environmental issues.

That led the housebuilders to take the council to the Planning Inspectorate on grounds of non-determination - and the government body is now set to finally decide on the scheme in October.

But ahead of the hearing in the autumn, ABC's planning committee met to discuss its position on the proposal last week, even though it no longer has the final say on the 'Kingsnorth Green' scheme.

If built, 126 acres of land off Pound Lane, Magpie Hall Road, Bond Lane and Ashford Road will be built on in a “carefully landscaped environment”, according to the developers.

The committee said it would support the project, with 12 of the 14 members voting in favour.

But Kingsnorth ward member Cllr Ray McGeever (Ashford Independents), who could not vote as he has objected to the plan, criticised the development.

"It is not in keeping with the rural landscape, three-storey properties are not in keeping with existing housing which is predominantly two-storey,” he said.

“If anyone has been through Chilmington Green you will spot what they really intend to do in Kingsnorth Green and that’s having these whopping great big three-storey things, I think they’re like chicken coops [indoors].”

An ABC planning officer said the design is "common typology on lots of our development sites in and around the borough", but concerns were also raised over the amount of affordable housing set to be provided.

The authority's Local Plan, which includes the 'Kingsnorth Green' project, requires developments of this scale should include 30% affordable housing, however in this case the developers are proposing only 10% - 55 homes.

A planning officer told members: “The clear advice from our viability consultants is that the scheme cannot afford in viability terms to achieve the 30% requirement."

He added that "in pure viability terms no affordable housing could actually be provided,” telling members that by providing 55 affordable homes, the developers are taking a hit “which in effect would come out of their profit margin on the scheme".

As part of the plan, a water treatment plant is set to be included in the estate, at a cost of £4.4 million.

But as the scheme is currently only at the outline stage, details of the layout of the estate will be dealt with through later planning applications.

This led Cllr Simon Betty (Ash Ind) to say "we could potentially be a couple of years away before this becomes first spade in the ground territory".

ABC will make the case to the Inspectorate that they would have granted permission for the 550-home development, subject to reviews to improve the amount of affordable housing.

Meanwhile, Malcolm Jarvis Homes is also appealing against ABC’s failure to determine permission for a nearby bid - for 15 homes and a new Kingsnorth Medical Practice off Ashford Road.

The authority will tell the Planning Inspectorate it would have granted permission for the homes and medical facility, but that no houses should be built until an operator for the medical facility is confirmed.

A decision on that scheme will also be made in October.

If ‘Kingsnorth Green’ is approved, it could be built next to the 1,000-home ‘Court Lodge’ development, but a decision on that scheme is also yet to be made.

Both would form part of the South of Ashford Garden Community (SAGC) along with the huge 5,750-home Chilmington Green ‘garden town’.