An ambitious scheme to create a further 650 homes in Hythe is expected to be given the go-ahead tonight.

The new homes are destined for land at the former Nickolls Quarry, off Dymchurch Road, which makes up part of the new Martello Lakes housing development.

Outline planning permission was previously granted on this site as part of a wider original planning permission for 1,050 dwellings in 2010.

Four hundred of those houses already have detailed planning permission and are being built on site by housebuilder Barratt Homes.

But due to an expired time condition, a new outline application for the remainder of the land has been submitted to enable the remaining units that were previously granted outline planning permission to be built out.

As well as the 650 new homes, the application includes plans for up to 15,000sqm of office space or care uses, 1,150sqm of shops and restaurants, and 14.02 hectares of open space.

Some aspects of the original application have been changed, to take into account updated planning policy.

Planning literature states: "The site forms part of a larger site that was granted outline planning permission for redevelopment in 2010, and then permission in 2015.

"Part of that permission has been implemented and is being built out on land to the north east of this site, but a condition of that outline permission required all reserved matters applications to have been submitted by May 2020 (which was subsequently extended to May 2021 as a result of the Covid regulations).

"The applicant took the view that it would be more appropriate to plan positively and to amend the scheme by submitting a new outline application for the remainder of the site.

"This new outline application therefore seeks to amend the original masterplan to take account of changing planning policy, and environmental and economic changes that have taken place since the original outline permission was granted."

The application is due to be discussed by members of Folkestone and Hythe District Council's planning committee tonight.

Officers for the authority have recommended the scheme be approved.

Around a fifth of the homes are proposed to be affordable.

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