A housebuilder looks set to take on a project to build 455 homes and 100-acre country park in a rapidly-expanding village.

Outline permission for the scheme was granted to GH Dean Ltd, which currently farms the land to the east of Iwade , in July 2022.

But now, Bellway has announced that it will submit a detailed planning application for the site to Swale council in June and expects to purchase the land from its current owners in August.

Bellway said it was considering a mix of houses and apartments, including 30 affordable properties, off Grovehurst Road and The Street.

It said the provision of the country park, which would wrap around the eastern side of the development, next to the A249 corridor, would help deliver a 20% biodiversity net gain in wildlife habitats.

A community centre is also due to be provided.

Bellway Kent’s managing director, Chris Moore, said: “The Iwade project is very important for Bellway both in its scale and in its focus on community, biodiversity, and sustainability.”

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“To develop a major site such as this and devote two-thirds of it to parkland is highly significant.

“It will create an incredible resource for the local community and make the development highly attractive to buyers.

“And importantly, it will be a place where biodiversity can thrive alongside the homes we build.”

Mr Moore was hopeful that construction could begin as early as mid-2025.

The site is less than a mile from Kemsley railway station, and four miles from Sittingbourne railway station.

Mr Moore said: “This is a highly sustainable location for new housing, with excellent transport links putting a range of urban centres including London within easy reach.

“It will be straightforward for residents to get to the shops, services, and entertainments of the area, while commuters who want to leave the city behind and come home to peaceful village life after the working day can do that easily.”

Bellway is already constructing a large development of 421 homes at Parsonage Place, Otham, near Maidstone.

It still has 349 homes to complete there.