Plans for a purpose-built hospice on a sprawling housing estate have been given the full seal of approval.

Council officers rubber-stamped the 'state-of-the-art' Pilgrims Hospice building to be constructed on farmland behind Cockering Road, in Thanington.

The 16-bed complex, which includes a garden, orangery and extra accommodation for family members to stay in, will become Canterbury's new centre for the end-of-life care charity.

Once the new-build is open, the city's current and outdated hospice in London Road will be closed down.

Developers do not yet know when construction will start but hope to have the project completed by 2023 and operational by 2024.

It will form part a huge 750-home development in Thanington which is currently under construction - led by house-building firm Pentland Homes.

The bespoke hospice is being part-funded by Pentland Properties Ltd and the Tory Family Foundation - as well as a contribution from developer Mark Quinn.

Martin Hart, managing director at Pentland Homes, says he is delighted the project has been given the go-ahead.

"It will be an excellent addition to the community," he said.

"Going forward we will continue to work in tandem with the team at Pilgrims Hospice to ensure the building meets their needs.”

Elizabeth Sharp, chairman of the major projects committee at Pilgrims Hospice, added: "It is an important step to continuing to provide state-of-the-art end-of-life care to our local community."

As well as joining hundreds of homes at the Saxon Fields development, the care facility will be among a number of other community projects such a new doctor’s surgery, primary school, and shops.

A long-awaited coastbound A2 off-slip will also be installed at Wincheap as part of the £40 million scheme.

Mark Quinn, CEO of Quinn Estates said: “Having spent time with my mother at the London Road site, it’s brilliant to know this brand-new facility will provide both staff and patients with a first-class environment that reflects the level of care provided by Pilgrims Hospice.

"We look forward to delivering this for the people of east Kent in the coming years.”

The Saxon Fields development is set to be completed within the next seven years. Last week, sales teams said they had seen an uptake in interest for the new houses since the Chancellor's stamp duty relief plan.

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