Plans for a 150-bed hotel and conference centre on picturesque land on the edge of Canterbury are back on the drawing board - sparking a new protest from residents.

The controversial development scheme on the southern slopes of the University of Kent has been re-introduced into institution's revised masterplan.

But residents fear it could be the thin end of the wedge for the fields they have been fighting for years to protect.

The Save the Chaucer Fields group previously tried and failed to get the land designated as "village green". But the Local Plan still records it as having "high landscape value", acting as a green buffer between the campus and residential areas.

University bosses withdrew their original development proposals, which included student accommodation, but their hotel/conference centre scheme has been re-introduced.

Now the St Michael’s Road Area Residents’ Association has taken up the fight.

Its chairman, Prof Richard Norman, says that although the village green application failed on one of the three counts, it established the value of the field to the local community which he says is an "irreplaceable" green open space.

"The latest version of the university’s masterplan proposes that a hotel and conference centre should now be built on the western field, near Chaucer College and across the road from the Innovation Centre," he said.

"Although not as big as the previous development proposals, it would still be a 150-bed hotel with car park attached and is bound to destroy the character of the field and set a bad precedent for the other unspoilt fields.

"The rest of the masterplan talks a great deal about the beauty of the university’s green landscape setting, and the need to preserve the fields and woods. But how can that be reconciled with building a conference hotel on one of the fields?"

He added: "I believe that this is a question which should be put firmly to the university planners."

The University of Kent says it recognises the level of interest which surrounds its hotel and conference centre plan.

Bosses say it is a medium-term proposal and takes into consideration feedback received from residents, the business community and other interested parties during previous public consultations as well as advice received from experts from the hotel and conference sectors.

They plan to hold a meeting for local residents groups and others in early November to discuss the proposal in more detail.

But Prof Norman is urging residents to start expressing their views at a series of public consultation meetings over the masterplan being held by the university next month.

They are at the Westgate Hall, between 10am and 4pm, on Saturday, October 6, Tyler Hill Memorial Hall between 2pm and 8pm on Thursday, October 11, Blean village hall between 2pm and 8pm on Friday, October 12, and Darwin Conference Centre between 10am and 4pm on Thursday, October 18.