CONTROVERSIAL plans to move the Mid Kent College to the historic Lower Lines in Gillingham were approved by councillors on Monday night.

But the £110 million project still hangs in the balance after councillors decided to listen to residents around the rundown Horsted campus before making a decision on one of the two redevelopments that would help finance the project.

They approved the redevelopment of the college's City Way, Rochester, campus for housing once college representatives signalled from the public gallery their willingness to fund new secondary school provisions.

Then Horsted's councillor, John Ward (Con) pleaded that housing would create too much traffic congestion at the local retail park roundabout and at the entrance to BAe Systems. He asked councillors to listen to strong local opposition from the Davis Estate.

Stephen Grix, principal of the college, said afterwards: "I am absolutely delighted we have the Lower Lines approved, but we won't have the money to go ahead without the Horsted development."

More than 100 people attended a site visit to the Lower Lines last weekend.

The one to Horsted has not yet been decided, but is likely to be within the next two weeks - in time for the following planning committee.

The college wants to be in the Medway Multiversity, a project which already has three Universities on-site. It would also include the Royal School of Military Engineering if the Mid Kent College moved to the Gillingham site.