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The first homes at a sprawling £230 million development on the outskirts of Herne Bay are set to be completed in 2023.
Having rumbled on for years and been delayed by legal challenges, work on the contentious 800-home Strode Farm project - dubbed Lower Herne Village - is set to soon press ahead.
Two house-building firms, Countryside and Places for People, have now been nailed down to deliver the properties, while a bid for full planning permission is now in the hands of Canterbury City Council.
Outline permission has already been secured, however, the detailed masterplan needs to be fully rubber-stamped before work can begin.
Should it be given the green light, Chris Crook - development manager at the firm behind the plans, Hollamby Estates - says the new homes will be a "very special place to live".
"The fact we have two of the biggest place-making developers in the country is quite significant," he said.
"Having these experienced developers jointly taking the scheme forward is the most positive news the council and district could have.
"This should be a very special place to live in future years. It's a very significant scheme - a whole new neighbourhood extension to Herne.
"People will first see a lot of site preparation and infrastructure work before house-building can take place. Some of those works will last about a year to 18 months."
Countryside is one of the UK's leading mixed-tenure developers, while Places for People is the largest builder of affordable homes.
Of the 800 homes at Strode Farm, 240 will be affordable properties for rental and shared ownership.
New parkland, allotments and a 'local centre' will also be part of the development, while the spine road through the estate is set to become a relief road for Herne.
The route will link Canterbury Road with Bullockstone Road, which itself will be widened as part of a £7.7m scheme.
It is to be funded by contributions from developers at Herne Bay Golf Club project, the 1,300-home scheme at Hillborough, and Strode Farm.
The city council previously launched an unsuccessful judicial review against Hollamby Estates' Strode Farm plan amid anger over a proposed £2.3m contribution rather than £4.6m.
But the legal bid was thrown out by the High Court.
"The Herne relief road only happens if this scheme happens, and this scheme only happens if the relief road gets built - so there's an inexplicable relationship between the two," Mr Crook said.
"This whole part of the north Kent coast is much more accessible than it ever used to be."
Planning conditions stipulate the spine road through the estate must be complete by the time the 410th house at Strode Farm is constructed.
"There's been a very complex process involved in its approval," Mr Crook added.
"You have to jump through a lot of hurdles to get it through the UK planning process and it's not helpful if you have legal challenges along the way but it's finally getting there and this is very positive news.
"The effect of the pandemic has really pushed the market quite strongly for family houses in out-of-town locations. And this is a great location as you're onto the Thanet Way within moments and you've got links to Canterbury.
"This whole part of the north Kent coast is much more accessible than it ever used to be."
Andrew Usher, from Countryside, said: “Having formed a strategic relationship with Places for People to deliver much-needed mixed-tenure housing across the UK, we are thrilled to sign the development agreement for Lower Herne Village so swiftly.
"This a crucial step in our regional expansion and growth strategy and proof we can deliver high quality and sustainable mixed-tenure communities across the country.”
David Cowans, group chief executive at Places for People said: “The signing of the development agreement for Lower Herne Village means we can continue with our plans of delivering quality homes which provide choice and meet people’s needs."
