Plans to build a housing estate of up to 95 homes on land owned by two former city councillors have officially been submitted.

Documents reveal a bid has been made for outline permission to develop the Milton Manor site in Thanington, on the outskirts of Canterbury.

The application has been validated just days after KentOnline revealed Canterbury City Council previously granted a special privacy exemption to keep details of the land’s ownership off the public record.

Nightclub boss Louise Jones-Roberts and her husband Matthew were both still in office when, in October last year, the site was included in the authority’s draft Local Plan - a lucrative list of plots earmarked for large housing developments.

But while planning officers and the council’s legal chief were aware the Conservative couple owned the land, neither of the councillors were required to declare their ownership publicly.

The council’s legal chief had granted an exemption because the pair - who run Club Chemistry and Tokyo Tea Rooms in Canterbury - feared for their safety following a number of threats of violence they say they have received through the course of their work.

The draft Local Plan has yet to be adopted, but a developer working with Mr and Mrs Jones-Roberts is now pushing forward with proposals to build on the site, which was bought for £1.95 million in 2018.

An application submitted by CCH Building Solutions and planning agent Iceni Projects seeks outline planning permission for up to 95 homes.

As part of the plan, the Georgian-style Milton Manor house, which was built in the 1950s, will be demolished,

The application says almost five acres of ancient woodland will remain intact, while land the equivalent size of 3.75 football pitches will be reserved for green space and a play area.

A new entry point via the A28 Ashford Road will be built, while existing access through Milton Manor Road will be retained.

Three-bed houses will form more than half of the properties on site, with the remaining homes ranging from flats to four-bed houses.

As per guidelines set by the government, 30% of the available new-builds will be classed as affordable.

Documents state: “The proposals provide the basis for a sensitively designed, high-quality housing scheme with a varied mix of homes that are appropriate to meet local needs in order to contribute to the housing need in the local area.

“The proposals are fully acceptable in design and access terms and will contribute positively towards the character of the area through a thorough, thoughtful and considered proposal.”

While the application is considered by planning officers, an independent review of the processes through which the site was included in the draft Local Plan – and the rules that allowed its ownership to stay off the public record – is being carried out.

Critics argue the privacy exemption should have been lifted when the couple’s private home became a potential development site, claiming the lack of transparency has damaged public trust in the council and the Local Plan process.

But Mrs Jones-Roberts, who made every declaration required of her by the council, says she sought only to keep her address off the public record following years of threats from disgruntled clubbers.

Independent auditors from the East Kent Audit Partnership (EKAP) are now examining whether the relevant rules and procedures the authority has in place are “robust” and “whether they have been followed and whether they can be tightened”.

A CCC spokesman said: “The EKAP’s findings will be reported to the council’s Audit Committee in the usual way.”

Planning officers will now assess the Milton Manor application before making a recommendation to councillors on the authority’s planning committee.

A new version of the draft Local Plan is due to be published early next year.