A family say they have been left "sickened" to see their farmland earmarked for a 3,200-home 'super estate' linking two Kent villages.

Canterbury City Council this week unveiled its vision to build a sprawling development at Cooting Farm, between Adisham and Aylesham on the outskirts of the city.

The plans proved eye-opening to many, but none more so than the Harwarden family, who own about half of the site and have farmed it for generations.

It had been put forward for consideration by agents acting for some of the landowners across the 428-acre plot.

But Judith Hawarden says she only learned her family farm had been included in the authority's draft Local Plan when she saw the news on social media this week.

She has now moved to reassure villagers the Hawarden Trust, which owns the land, has no desire to sell up or see houses built on it.

"I only found out when I saw it on Facebook," Mrs Hawarden said.

"I was so cross. I can understand the shock people felt when they saw the drawings of a proposed new town in the village.

"Seeing the farmland had been submitted as a potential development site was, and is, sickening.

"I immediately instructed for it to be removed, and contacted the council and said there must have been a huge misunderstanding.

"We're farmers through and through, and our only intention is to farm."

Mrs Harwarden says she first learned last November that developers were looking at the Cooting Farm land, giving her "sleepless nights".

Despite putting forward objections to the development of any farmland, she discovered in June of this year that the wider site was among those the council was considering for inclusion in its Local Plan.

She says immediate efforts were made to inform those acting for other landowners that the Hawarden Farm plot was not to be put forward as part of a joint site, and the family did not want it developed.

"We were assured in June that all concerned parties had been informed and the land would not be included in the next stage," Mrs Hawarden explained.

"It was made very clear."

The 3,200-home scheme is the largest among a series of new developments proposed in the draft Local Plan, and the second biggest in the district's history.

Almost a quarter of the 13,000 new homes proposed before 2045 would be built at Cooting Farm, with the council set to vote next week on whether to put the document out to public consultation.

But despite its largest site now looking like a non-starter, the council is pressing ahead with the process.

Spokesman Rob Davies said: "The Cooting Farm site was formally submitted to us by the agent acting on behalf of the owner of the land, as a potential allocation for development.

"It has since been robustly assessed by our officers to ensure its inclusion in the draft plan is appropriate.

"We have now at a very late stage been told by the landowner directly that they do not want it to be made available.

"Having considered the situation carefully, we believe it is prudent to continue with the consultation as proposed, if approved by cabinet, as we still have a requirement to meet the housing needs of the district.

"No final decision on land allocations has been made and the whole point of the consultation is to hear views on what is being put forward."

The council says it is "not unusual" for proposed sites to be added and removed from the Local Plan during its preliminary stages.

Mrs Hawarden says she and her family will continue their efforts to see the site withdrawn from the document.

She added: “We and our grown-up children, who also earn their living in rural-based industries, do not oppose infill, or conversion of redundant buildings and brown sites used for redevelopment in and around areas that provide people housing and the local rural economy space for employment and income.

"We do, and will always, oppose farmland being developed.

"People need housing, but they also need food, and we provide the latter.

"Farming is the most important thing to us. My son will run the farm one day."

City councillor Mike Sole - who represents the wards - says the situation is "shambolic".

"It is absolutely unbelievable," the Lib Dem representative said.

"How on earth can they put together a Local Plan which relies so heavily on this site without confirming with the landowners that they can do it?

"I am flabbergasted. The council has simply got to pull this plan now; they have to put a stop to it.

"You can't go to consultation on such a flawed plan.

"Adisham is set for more than a quarter of the whole district's housing - but the landowners say it's not happening. It's crazy.”

Councillors will vote on whether to put the draft Local Plan out to public consultation at a meeting next Wednesday. If agreed, residents will be able lodge their views over a 12-week period.