A former air cadet base which could be demolished to make way for a new student complex has been put on the market for £700,000.

Developers have long-held ambitions to create a 45-bed facility at the old ATC Centre in Cossington Road, Canterbury, but the plans - submitted almost two years ago - remain undecided by city council.

Now, the 0.2-acre site between Old Dover Road and New Dover Road, has been put up for sale.

Any buyer will likely pin their hopes on gaining planning permission for the student flats, in what is described as a “sought-after location”.

The proposals for the scheme were drawn up by Cossington Road Developments Ltd, and lodged with the city council in April 2020.

It is the third attempt to get the plan green-lit following the refusal of two previous designs.

The most recent proposals have attracted a series of complaints, with about 80 objections from neighbours and heritage groups submitted against the project.

Labour leader and Westagate ward councillor Dave Wilson says the plan for the former cadet base is “wholly inappropriate” and must be thrown out.

“This scheme is overwhelmingly opposed by residents,” he said.

“It is simply inappropriate in scale, and the design has significant flaws in respect of access, traffic movements, cycle and car parking, vehicle access, and impact on the immediately neighbouring properties.

“It will have a detrimental impact on community life and detract from the quiet enjoyment of their properties which the residents of Cossington Road and Oaten Hill more generally enjoy.”

Other objectors question the need for yet more student housing in the city, and others fear parking problems in the tight street will only escalate as a result.

However, developers say the 45-bed complex will be predominantly car-free.

They say the architecture for the proposed two-storey block will be “deeply rooted in its historic built environment” and “enhance the area through thoughtful and modern design”.

It is understood a decision on the application is one of many to have been held up by the long-running issues concerning water pollution at the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve.