Relieved campaigners are in a celebratory mood after one of Canterbury City Council’s most contentious plans in recent memory was scrapped.

For three years, proposals to expand Wincheap park and ride onto neighbouring water meadows have been rumbling on, with the council giving itself the green light to go ahead with the £3.6 million scheme last winter.

But with the project dependent on separate plans to install a new coast-bound slip road off the A2, there has always been a lingering question mark as to whether the park and ride expansion could become reality.

And that uncertainty has now come to a head after the slip road proposals were last week thrown out by Highways England.

Had everything gone ahead as planned, the new off-slip would have veered off the A2, lopped left in a hairpin and gone through part of the existing 500-space car park at the park and ride site.

A new relief road taking drivers through the Wincheap Industrial Estate, onto Simmonds Road and onto the A28 by the Maidens Head pub, would then have been introduced.

As a result, the city council controversially drew up and agreed on plans to stretch the park and ride site onto the neighbouring water meadows next to the Stour, behind B&M Bargains.

But due to all of the schemes being entwined with each other, as one hits a bump in the road, so does the other.

The council, which previously admitted its expansion project would flood, has therefore pulled its plans to concrete over the water meadow.

It does, however, warn that the expansion plans will likely be revisited in a revised form - meaning last week’s outcome is not a complete victory for campaigners.

But for the time being, this week’s decision has been a triumph for campaigners who had raised almost £25,000 to fight the council’s park and ride plans in court.

Environmentalist Sian Pettman said: “This is a victory for common sense, a victory for public safety and hopefully a victory in the long-term for the environment.

"I hope the council will learn from this and never allow such nonsense to happen again..."

“We’re hoping the council’s new design will have much less of an impact on the water meadows.”

Her thoughts were echoed by city councillor Nick-Eden Green (Lib Dem), who said: “These meadows, which would have been covered in concrete, actually prevent the city from flooding. Never mind the fact it’s a major wildlife site and wildlife corridor.

“This should never have happened. A huge amount of time and money has been wasted to put right a bad decision.

“I hope the council will learn from this and never allow such nonsense to happen again.”

The council says it will revisit plans for changes at the park and ride site.

Authority spokesman Rob Davies said: “Our design for an extended park and ride site at Wincheap, which was approved by the planning committee, cannot be put in place. We intend to withdraw our plans. Also, the council, in its role as local planning authority, will be revoking the planning permission.

“Once the off-slip design is agreed, we will look at the implications for the current park and ride site as well as the potential for future expansion.

“A formal decision would be needed before any future work can begin on changing the site’s layout.”

Developer firm Pentland Homes was footing the total bill for the £8.8 million A2 off-slip as a condition of its under-construction 750-home estate off Cockering Road in Thanington.

But Highways England stresses the slip road plans “were not compliant with national standards and regulations” - and have therefore refused to approve the project.

Pentland Homes is now going back to the drawing board to address the concerns and will submit a revised proposal.

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury