AFTER almost 14 months in its conception, the outlay of £600,000 in fees and consultation costs and the likely expense upon completion of £9million, Kent officials regard tonight's Development Control Committee meeting as their D-Day.

Canterbury City Council's planners will finally debate the rights and wrong of Kent's redevelopment plans for their St Lawrence headquarters and there is much riding on their decision.

The planning officers have recommended acceptance of a scheme that involves the sale of two plots of land for housing, the Bat and Ball field and the practice area as well as the construction of a new hotel, fitness club and health spa, conference centre and new offices.

If given the go ahead, the pavilion, dressing rooms, Annexe and Frank Woolley stand would also receive a facelift.

Kent have tweaked their initial plans and abandoned proposals to access some of the new housing through St Lawrence Forstal, opting instead to use the main drive as an un-adopted highway.

The club have provided further information on retractable floodlights, traffic control and access, parking and drainage and will now hope to join the likes of Sussex, Essex and Worcestershire, who have all recently had similar schemes upheld.