Work will start next year on a sprawling 4,000-home estate which could cost up to £200 million and has been in the pipeline for almost a decade.

The hugely controversial Mountfield Park is set to transform the south of Canterbury, having faced hundreds of objections from locals, a High Court battle and lengthy delays.

But planning permission was finally granted in December 2022 and a multimillion-pound agreement between developer Corinthian and Canterbury City Council was signed off in July last year.

The 550-acre plot is set to have two new primary schools, offices, community spaces, sports facilities and a health centre to accompany the wide range of housing.

According to bosses behind the scheme, work on the infrastructure element of the project will commence as early as January 2025.

It comes as efforts to get power to the area are ongoing.

Alice Seller, community lead at GummerLeathes which has joined up with Corinthian for the development, told KentOnline: “We are passionate about creating beautiful places in which communities can thrive.

“Canterbury’s history and culture, the wonderful landscape and ability to bring new life to the land bordering the historic Via Francigena is everything we could ask for in a project.

“Our commitment is a given, but in this case, our entire team are buzzing at the opportunity to be part of the project.”

If all goes to plan, Corinthian expects Mountfield Park to be fully complete within 20 years.

To deliver the scheme on time, it would need to build homes at a rate of one house every 46 hours.

While the eye-watering costs could hit £200 million, the scheme is expected to bring in at least four times that amount through house sales alone.

Should Kent County Council be left in charge of the construction of the two schools, Corinthian would need to stump up a further £19.6 million alongside the already-agreed-upon £33.6 million the firm will invest in education for Canterbury.

Likewise, Corinthian will need to pay £3.4 million for a health centre unless it builds the facility itself, in which case work would need to have been completed before 1,500 homes have been moved into.

It is the same case for roads, with a new A2 junction and improvements to Brenley Corner essential before certain milestones can be reached with the occupation of houses.

The majority of construction decisions, including the phasing of works, are yet to be fully determined.

It will however be able to bypass the pollution issues at the Stodmarsh nature reserve which has held up so many other city-wide plans.

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, visit the Public Notice Portal here.

Corinthian says it will build a wastewater reserve treatment which will filter water to a higher quality than other facilities within the district.

After lengthy discussions with key stakeholders, Corinthian says it is now at a point where it hopes to engage with the wider Canterbury community on a regular basis.

Ms Seller added: “We will provide regular updates throughout the year via our website.

“We are running an ongoing consultation online and will also feedback on people’s concerns, hopes and dreams for the new place.”