Eton College has today revealed it wants to build a 300-home estate between Whitstable and Herne Bay.

The private school - which educated Princes Harry and William - has alerted residents to the plans, which also include a care home, hotel, restaurant, health centre and gym on farmland near Chestfield.

Letters have been posted through the doors of people living near Bodkin Farm, inviting them to exhibitions which will showcase the proposal later this month.

Chestfield parish chairman Steve Bailey says he and his colleagues had been aware of the plans for two months before they became public.

He said: “We’re concerned a development as big as this will change the demographic of the village. It would increase the population of Chestfield by about 2,500.

“When does a village become a town?

“We can’t really comment at the moment, but we will be looking to oppose this.

“I’m going to go to both exhibitions and we will be keeping a very close watching brief on this."

“With a thing of this scale, we’d probably look at calling an extraordinary meeting at a later date.”

Mr Bailey also questioned whether the proposed health centre would take the place of the existing one in Chestfield.

He said: “We just don’t know. The existing centre has an application to extend as well.

“And the care home? Well, that’s usually just a bolt-on to any proposal now.”

The first exhibition will take place at Whitstable Rugby Club in Reeves Way next Friday from 4pm to 8pm, with a second at Chestfield Hall on Saturday from 11am to 3pm.

Eton says it will give residents the chance to have their say on the proposals before a planning application is submitted to Canterbury City Council.

Other famous Etonians include Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.