The decision to approve or refuse a huge new Kent housing development was “ripped away” from the “democratically elected local council” following a request from an MP, it has emerged.

In a letter, the Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Kevin McKenna – who was elected in July – suggested Secretary of State for housing Angela Rayner MP take the decision on the sprawling estate planned for near Sittingbourne away from Swale Borough Council (SBC) in November.

The scheme for 8,400 homes – split across two applications – around the edge of Sittingbourne and Teynham by Quinn Estates has been in the works for years.

However, on November 7, just three hours before SBC planning committee was expected to refuse the proposal for the ‘new town’, a letter was sent to the authority by the government explaining it had been ‘called in’ – meaning the power to decide was taken away from the council, and the government is to make the final call.

At the time, planning committee chairman Cllr Elliot Jayes (Swale Ind) decried this, saying: “The council has had power of decision on this application ripped out of its hands at the eleventh hour.”

The proposals were subject to massive opposition, with more than 700 letters of objection sent to SBC.

However, a letter from Kevin McKenna MP, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, reveals he had written to Angela Rayner to request the decision be ‘called in’.

“I, like you, was elected on a manifesto commitment to get Britain building again,” he wrote in the letter dated November 5.

“I am writing to you today in support of local proposals for 7,150 of those much-needed new homes along with 5,000 new jobs and privately funded highways infrastructure that could be delivered within this Parliament.

“This planned development at Highsted Park represents a strategic opportunity for economic growth, privately funded infrastructure delivery, job creation, and much-needed housing provision in the area.

“I believe that this development at Highsted Park meets the grounds for a call in as set out in legislation, in particular that it may have a significant long-term impact on economic growth and meets housing needs across a wider area than a single local authority.

“I believe that a decision by you as Secretary of State to call in this application would not only be in the interests of my constituents and their families but would also have a significant long-term impact on economic growth through the injection of an estimated £14.2 billion into the economy, as well as making a sizeable contribution to the necessarily ambitious new homes target we have committed to deliver.

“As the Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey I am requesting that you call in this application.”

The proposals are split across two planning applications, one for 7,150 homes, and another for 1,250, with the overall project referred to as Highsted Park.

As well as the 7,150 homes, the first application also includes plans for community space, a hotel, a new tip, and primary and secondary schools. This is for land surrounding Sittingbourne, with two halves named Highsted Village and Oakwood Village. It also includes provision for a new M2 motorway junction and completion of the Southern Relief Road.

The second application is for a smaller site, known as Teynham West, and planned to host up to 1,250 homes, along with sheltered and extra care accommodation, a primary school, and the Bapchild section of a Northern Relief Road - which is already in the local plan.

Mr McKenna was elected on July 4, winning by 355 votes, and his party has proposed to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the Parliament in 2029.

Cllr Julien Speed (Con), who represents Teynham, said of Mr Mckenna’s request to Ms Rayner: “This is outrageous. He’s only been MP for five minutes and already he’s taking action that totally conflicts with the views of his constituents.

“There is massive opposition from local residents to this proposal, which would see a town the size of Faversham built to the east of Sittingbourne.

“As a direct result of his intervention, the decision has not only been ripped away from the democratically elected local council, it’s been removed from the planning inspector as well.”

During the planning committee last month, members of SBC voted unanimously to say they would have rejected the application if they were still making the decision.

Now, as part of the “call in”, there will be a public planning inquiry led by a government inspector, but the final call will be made by the Secretary of State.

Cllr Speed continued: “Every single Labour member of the planning committee voted against the Highsted Park applications, yet the MP is backing them.”

Speaking tonight, Mr McKenna said he would “not apologise” for the move and said there are “benefits” that would come from the proposed housing estate.

He said: "There's a lot of potential benefits to this, that's what the developers say, but I want to be sure they actually get delivered.

"We've promised that we're going to deliver on 1.5 million homes over the course of this Parliament – that's a national promise that we were voted in on."

The MP also said he understands that many other people and organisations had written in to request the government look at it.

He stressed that councils often refuse developments which are then allowed at appeal - costing taxpayer cash and reducing the developer contributions to local services.

He added: "I won't apologise for this one, this is why we're bringing in so much planning reform, because we know it's just not working for anybody at the moment."