Acres of Faversham countryside could be swallowed up by 40,000 solar panels under fresh proposals for land near the town.

A solar panel farm the size of 27 football pitches is being considered by the landowner at Littles Manor Farm, Ashford Road, Sheldwich.

It follows a similar application last year, which was withdrawn in November amid mounting protest from nearby homeowners.

Gulliver Immink campaigned against the proposals first time round. He has lived in Porters Lane, opposite the land, for the last 20 years and calls the plans "opportunistic and inappropriate".

He said: "This is a misuse of quality agricultural land and it is in the wrong place. It is overseen by a number of properties. It is not what the countryside is for."

The 50 acres of land is described as "grade one agricultural land".

Mr Immink added: "The climate change minister Greg Barker recently said that grade one and two land should not be used and that solar developments should be responsible."

The campaigner believes solar companies should instead look to brownfield sites and large buildings.

The ideas have not yet been formally submitted for planning permission and Adrian Hunter, of the Landmark Practice - the agent acting on behalf of the landowner - believes they can overcome the problems of previous applications.

He said the company is well aware of the land's grade one status.

Mr Hunter said: "We have looked at reducing buildings on the site and to improve access. We will also carry out significant landscaping.

"We are acutely aware it is grade one agricultural land and that you should not normally build on this. But it is the word normally that we are looking at."

The company argues the solar panels will provide electricity to 2,500 homes, which will be locally distributed, that the land could still be used agriculturally for sheep and that the development would be low key.