Plans for a 4,000-home development on prime farmland are set to be given the go-ahead following numerous legal troubles and delays.

The controversial Mountfield Park, which is earmarked for the south of Canterbury, was the subject of a High Court battle that ended with the city council having to withdraw its support for the project last October.

But having since submitted revised proposals, house-builder Corinthian Land appears to be on the verge of securing the green light after authority planners threw their weight behind the development this week.

The officers believe there will be "no significant environmental effects arising from" the 'garden city' scheme - but critics fear it will swamp neighbouring streets with congestion.

Campaigner David Kemsley, who is a member of the Alliance of Canterbury Residents, told KentOnline: "If the scheme goes ahead the areas will be chaos, the roads will be log jammed.

"This part of the county will be swamped with the traffic.

"The developer may have won the legal battle and they may well win the battle to get the plans approved this time around, but they certainly have not won over the hearts of the residents."

The “core components” of the proposal for the 550-acre plot are the same as before, including schools, office space, community buildings, sports facilities and a health centre.

However, plans for a hotel and conference centre on the farmland stretching towards Bridge have been dropped.

New measures were also introduced to address concerns about drainage, affordable housing and transport.

These include the installation of an on-site sewage treatment works designed to prevent further pollution of the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve.

Retired paratrooper Tom Lynch successfully applied for a judicial review of the original proposal.

After the judge agreed the review could proceed last year, the city council withdrew its planning approval, rather than face the cost of an expensive court challenge.

And Mr Lynch believes the developer "still hasn't done its homework".

"I’m still unhappy about the whole thing," said the New Dover Road veteran.

"I know people have to live somewhere, but surely they should think about the future and how it will affect our children.

"It’s going to be a heavy footprint on grade-one agricultural land which has produced food for generations.

"I’ll probably not be here when the whole thing is developed, but the impact on the city will be significant.

"People will turn around and say 'why have we allowed this to happen', but it will be too late."

All new homes will have EV charging points and electric bikes, while Corinthian says there will be new cycling infrastructure, extensive parkland and tree planting.

An expanded fast bus service into the city offering subsidised travel for residents will be created, along with business units, shops, restaurants and a care home.

Part of the vast site has also been earmarked for a 1,000-space Park and Ride facility, which would sit next to the A2.

The site - which was included in the authority's housing blueprint, the Local Plan - plays an integral role in achieving the council's building target of 900 new homes per year until 2031.

Mr Kemsley added: "We're concerned this scheme will just be pushed through purely on the basis that it complies with a Local Plan that was made eight years ago in the face of fierce public opposition."

Despite this, council officers insist there will be "no significant environmental effects arising from the development".

They argue the two primary schools, office space, community buildings and sports facilities that form part of the project will have a "positive impact on the district’s economy" and outweigh any "harm" caused by the development.

In a report published this week, the officers state: "The scheme will deliver a significant proportion of the council’s five years housing land supply.

"A significant weight is attached to the provision of housing by this scheme.

"The balance of considerations is such that the proposal would represent a highly sustainable form of development and the public benefits would significantly outweigh harm and as such weigh in favour of granting planning permission."

Councillors sitting on the authority's planning committee will meet next Thursday to consider the proposals.