The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has vowed to contest a “wrong” decision to grant outline planning permission for a major development in Dover.

Outline planning permission was given in December 2014 for a development of more than 500 homes, a 90-apartment retirement village and conference centre at Farthingloe.

A 130-bed hotel and a health facility is also included.

The Kent branch claimed that Dover District Council’s (DDC) planners granted permission “unlawfully”.

Farthingloe is situated in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The CPRE took its case to the High Court for judicial review on Tuesday, December 15 and Wednesday, December 16, last year.

The judge rejected the conservation group’s judicial review bid.

The group has since been given leave to appeal one of two grounds of a review.

It is understood that the area set to be put forward to the Court of Appeal is the national planning framework used by planning officers when approving or rejecting applications.

In a statement released by the CPRE on Tuesday, it quoted an appeal judge as saying the group “raises an arguable point which has real prospects of success.”

Leader of DDC Cllr Paul Watkins said: “DDC will continue to fight its case with the developer that the decision taken was lawful and the review process argued is lawful and what they are contesting is a point of law.

“This persistent game is stalling Dover’s development.”

CPRE Kent chairman Christine Drury said: “We have been determined to save this beautiful area of countryside.

“The harm to the AONB cannot be justified and we are heartened that the judge has agreed to our appeal on this important point.

“It is absolutely central to our cause that we fight to protect beautiful, protected, unspoilt areas of countryside for future generations.”

The group is now preparing for the Court of Appeal hearing which could be some months away.