Fearful residents say ongoing flooding in their neighbourhood could worsen if proposals for a new wetland are given the nod.

Developer Quinn Estates hopes to build the site off Kennington Road (A2070) in Willesborough Lees, Ashford.

It comes after the Bridge-based company submitted an outline application to Ashford Borough Council (ABC) last month for 180 properties on a 22.4-acre plot next to the M20 and Givaudan perfume factory.

Bosses have now put forward a separate application to ABC for the 40-acre wetland - which would be next to the planned estate and about the size of 22 football pitches.

This is where land is covered by water and so functions as its own ecosystem by trapping and then releasing surface water into the River Stour.

But residents argue the plot should remain as farmland.

One, medical practitioner Gurpreet Bhinder, 52, who has lived in Waltham Close since 2018, said: "When there is even a bit of rain it already floods a lot there.

"Because of the hill it runs down towards the bottom and makes it very wet, and I don't think that's easy to fix.

“I just think there is so much land elsewhere away from narrow roads.

"Land closer to Little Burton has space nearby there instead."

Meanwhile, Kennington Road's Kathy Weller claimed: "In terms of these 180 homes, I’d be very concerned about moving there if it gets built.

“I would certainly be interested to know how safe it is with the flooding which happens there.

"It's very steep as it goes down which makes the flooding really bad when it rains heavily.

"Even in the summer when it rains just a small amount it's very noticeable and fairly close to the road."

Quinn Estates insists the proposal would act as a “strategic wetland” within the catchment of the River Stour and remove significant levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.

It comes after Natural England previously confirmed additional developments in east Kent could create more nutrient pollution, which, in this instance, would affect Stodmarsh Nature Reserve.

The protected beauty spot near Canterbury has been affected by wastewater run-off from developments across east Kent causing high levels of harmful nitrate and phosphate nutrients.

As a result, rules set down by Natural England insist developers must ensure all schemes in the River Stour catchment area are “nutrient neutral” - either by having an on-site water treatment facility or offsetting the impact by providing mitigation measures elsewhere, such as wetlands.

A spokesperson for Quinn Estates said: “Both schemes are currently out to consultation and a number of statutory and other groups have now responded, requesting clarifications or suggesting planning conditions that should be applied having reviewed the detailed reports submitted with the two applications.

“We are committed to the delivery of Kingsland Green, as well as the proposed strategic wetland that will reduce nutrient levels entering the River Stour from the Ashford Waste Water Treatment Works.

"[This will] help unlock the delivery of thousands of homes that already have planning permission but have been held up by the requirements to achieve nutrient neutrality across the River Stour catchment.”

Yet Joan Cossey, who has lived in Willesborough Lees for 11 years, says the A-road is already dangerous enough without the risk of more homes and flooding.

“We just need less houses being built in Ashford, especially on greenfield sites where it floods," the Longbridge resident said.

"We know there are problems with things like bin collections already too, so to think there could be flooding in the area is awful.”

It is not just homeowners who remain downbeat by the plans for the site, which has been called ‘Kingsland Green’ and is not in ABC’s Local Plan.

Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT), which notes the wetland would be just 50 metres away from the River Stour, says more environmental harm may be carried out due to the increase in artificial lighting, noise and dust pollution caused during construction.

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Meanwhile, Kent County Council's (KCC) flood and water management team has already placed a holding objection on the proposal.

It says the plan needs to be redesigned in order to take into account the presence of high groundwater on the plot in order to avoid storing groundwater.

Documents submitted with the application state the site earmarked for the wetland already operates as a “functional floodplain”.

A decision on whether the wetland receives approval is expected by October 1, with the outline application for Kingsland Green earmarked for September 17.