Concerns over traffic have delayed approval of two schemes to build more homes.

Maidstone council’s planning committee were asked first to approve an outline application for a potential 800 homes on a 47-hectare site south of Sutton Road in Maidstone that would include the existing golf driving range and the Rumwood Nursery plantations.

Officers said the scheme would earn the council £9.5m in New Homes Bonus payments from the Government over the next six years.

But members were concerned about whether the increased traffic from the development, that would include a primary school, shops, restaurant and pub, would add to congestion.

Access would be via a new roundabout, but the developers were offering to pay for mitigation measures elsewhere on the route, including £1.4m towards a more frequent bus service, providing bus priority measures, and enhancing the Wheatsheaf junction.

The council had engaged traffic consultants Mott MacDonald to examine the options. They decided that together with money from other nearby developments, it would be possible not only to offset the increase in traffic, but actually to lessen congestion.

However, KCC, the highways authority, disagreed, saying the resulting congestion would be severe.

Cllr Brian Clark (Lib Dem) pointed out that one of the mitigation measures included by Mott MacDonald was the closure of Cranbourne Avenue at the Wheatsheaf, something that had already been rejected by councillors.

Cllr Gordon Newton (Ind) said Mott MacDonald’s modelling had taken no account of the increased rat-running on local country lanes such as Gore Court Road and Otham Lane.

Cllr Valerie Springett was “angry” that the submitted scheme included development in an area to the east that councillors had specifically said must be kept as open space when the site was submitted as part of the draft Local Plan.

KCC officer Brendan Wright said that the bus priority measures would simply “dislodge” car traffic, adding to congestion.

Cllr Eddie Powell (Ukip) was concerned that only one and a half lines in the officers’ 37-page report were about the effect on air quality.

Cllr Louise Brice (Con) proposed the application be deferred for a proper report showing the proposed mitigation measures and a comparison between the different traffic modelling used by Mott MacDonald and KCC.

She said that if she made a decision without fully understanding the implications she “wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

The committee than also decided to defer a second application, for 250 homes on land north of Bicknor Wood, for the same reasons.

There was substantial public opposition to the building of another 800 homes on Sutton Road. Objections were lodged by Langley, Chart Sutton and Boughton Monchelsea Parish Councils. There were 180 individual letters of objection and the committee received a petition from Cllr Brian Hunt of Langley signed by 496 Langley residents, approximately half the adult population of the village.