The design of a spine road cutting through a 400-home estate has been given the green light, despite concerns it will not cope with local traffic.

Thanington parish councillor Dave Smith argues the traffic survey commissioned by the developer of the Cockering Farm development drastically understates the number of cars on the roads.

“The parish council conducted a traffic survey which, in comparison to the applicant’s survey, shows there to be twice as much southbound evening traffic and three times as much in the northbound direction,” said Cllr Smith.

But Judith Ashton, planning consultant for Redrow Homes - the developer responsible for the project - refuted the councillor’s objection.

“I would respectfully suggest that additional highway survey works undertaken by other parties, who are not qualified highway consultants, and have not had anything independently verified, is in effect not addressing the point before you,” she said.

“There is no justifiable planning reason for refusal, there is no highway reason for refusal. The highway authority are content with what has been submitted.”

The bypass will link the two access points to the estate at Milton Manor Road and Cockering Road and will be completed before the 250th home is occupied.

Canterbury city councillor Alan Baldock (Lab) noted that Thanington residents will have to deal with the additional traffic from hundreds of homes before the spine road will be operational.

Despite these concerns, the planning officer recommended the committee vote to approve.

“The spine road and accesses have been designed to take into consideration all resulting traffic on the network and has been addressed through the design in consultation with KCC who have raised no objections to to the proposal,” said the officer.

Outline plans for the development, which includes homes of different types, commercial space and a community building, won council approval in 2018.

The scheme will be spread across former farmland between the A28, Milton Manor Road and Cockering Road.

It comes as work continues on the huge 750-home Saxon Fields development to the south side of Thanington.

With both projects now underway, the size and population of the Canterbury suburb is set to more than double.