Controversial plans for a woodland retreat aimed at millennials from London have been rejected amid fears over the loss of green space.

Four luxury holiday cabins, a community building, and car park were proposed for land off Spanton Crescent and Turnpike Hill in Hythe.

Developer and landowner Escape Holiday Ventures said the two-acre site would allow guests to “escape the stresses of modern life” by putting “wellness in nature at its heart”.

But planning officers at Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) have rejected the application, saying the removal of a number of trees would "erode the landscape buffer between the urban and rural area".

They say developing the land would be "unacceptable" as the area has been recognised as "having a deficiency in open space provision".

In a report confirming the application had been refused, officers added the developers had provided "insufficient information" that the proposed scheme would not have a detrimental effect on biodiversity and ecology.

The report added: “In the absence of this information, FHDC is unable to confirm the proposal could be safely implemented and would not give rise to any issues concerning land slip.”

Developers said the land had been “unmanaged” for years, and had suffered from fly-tipping and littering.

No wifi or TVs were planned for the site, and visitors - a high percentage of whom were expected to be couples or “millennials or Gen Z from London” - would have been encouraged to arrive by train.

Millennials are defined as those born between 1981 and 1996, while Gen Z encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012.

The community building would have accommodated weekly events such as yoga, talks or craft making, and developers said it would have been a hireable space for residents.

Four cabins were proposed in total, each of which would have included a living area, kitchen, and bedroom.

All would have been linked by a boardwalk through the woodland which would have allowed “human life and nature to live and thrive cohesively”.

But Emma Sharp, who was one of the residents in Hythe who campaigned against the development, says she and her family are delighted with the decision to refuse the application.

“As a community, we have pulled together to protect the woodland, and it proves together our voices can be heard,” she said.

Diana Dawson and David Bussell were also against the plans and say the area was no place for a wellness retreat.

"In our opinion, it was a ridiculous and totally unacceptable proposal,” Ms Dawson said.

“Thank goodness common sense has prevailed and the application has been refused by FHDC.

"We are confident that an appeal against refusal will not be lodged by Escape Holiday Ventures, based on the contents of the report.

“Our thanks (and thanks from our wildlife too) go to Hythe Town Council for backing us unanimously at its meeting in November, to FHDC and, of course, to Emma Sharp for bringing this to our attention.

"Without Emma, we would never have known. Team Turnpike/Spanton - we did it!”

Escape Holiday Ventures declined comment when approached by KentOnline.