The biggest-ever housing development earmarked for Canterbury is set to finally be rubber-stamped tonight following years of legal battles and water quality fears.

The 4,000-home Mountfield Park scheme, which will swallow up more than 550 acres of fields on the south side of the city, is to be determined by councillors at a long-awaited virtual committee meeting.

It had previously been given the seal of approval four years ago, but with campaigners taking the decision to the highest courts in the land, the huge development has stalled.

With no brick having been laid, planning permission has lapsed - meaning it must be decided upon once again.

Councillors were due to discuss the proposals in October, but the mammoth project was pulled from the agenda at the 11th hour due to water quality issues at the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve.

The internationally-important wetlands, which are a haven for wildlife, were discovered to be suffering from high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous.

The city council decided to take legal advice on how best to handle the situation before making a crunch decision which will forever change the city.

Now, two-and-a-half months down the line, Mountfield Park is back on the agenda and will be determined tonight.

Council spokesman Rob Davies said: "The issues have been resolved.

"There will be on-site mitigation, in the form of on site wastewater treatment and environmental improvements, that will ensure that the site is nutrient neutral so as to address the issue of water quality at Stodmarsh."

Despite scores of objections, planning officers have recommended the scheme - fronted by developers Corinthian Land - be approved.

Should it be given the green light, work on the development is forecast to begin next year and be fully complete by 2035.

The farmland set to be turned into a housing estate is spread across an area four times the size of Canterbury’s historic centre.

Dubbed a “garden city” due to its sheer size, Corinthian says the huge estate will “undoubtedly kickstart the local economy” in the wake of the havoc caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The scheme will give a much-needed boost to the city council in its effort to reach optimistic housebuilding targets, which it is currently falling short of.

As well as 4,000 homes, the project will also deliver two new primary schools, a new interchange off the A2 near Bridge, sports pitches and a replacement park and ride site.

A new site for the Kent and Canterbury Hospital is also part of the plan, should fresh space be needed for the city’s proposed new-build hospital.

The first 50 houses are anticipated to be finished in 2021, with the next 150 completed by March 2022.

An average of 300 properties will then be built each year.

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