A decision is set to be taken on whether controversial proposals for 134 homes in a rural part of north Kent can go ahead.

Three parcels of land just outside Hoo are the subject of a bid by Esquire Developments Ltd for a range of terrace, semi-detached and detached homes.

The site includes the former Sturdee Sports and Social Club, once a popular venue for locals but which, in recent years, has become derelict.

Included in the proposals are 29 two-bed, 77 three-bed and 18 four-bed homes and ten one-bed flats, as well as a nursery, community hub with a cafe, and commercial units.

Of the homes, six three-bed homes will be affordable rent properties and eight two-bed and ten three-bed homes will be affordable properties.

Planning officers have recommended the scheme off Stoke Road be approved when it goes before Medway Council’s planning committee later this week.

But they say it is on the condition 25% of the homes are affordable housing and £2.4 million is pledged in developer contributions toward road, health and other infrastructure improvements.

These include £28,300 for Hoo Library and £41,700 for Hoo Leisure Centre, plus just over £875,000 for schools and £95,000 for health improvements to local facilities.

The proposals were put forward in December 2023 but has received some objections from locals and the Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden Parish Council.

They raised concerns about the lack of capacity in local infrastructure, including schools, GPs, and dentists, as well as the lack of youth facilities in the area and how the development designs contribute nothing to this.

They also say the estate would be heavily reliant on cars, which would add to problems of limited parking in Hoo town centre and congestion on the Peninsula.

However, officers in the report said they believed the developer contributions could mitigate these problems, including £550,000 for highways improvements.

Other objections were raised about the loss of agricultural land and Natural England initially objected, asking for more mitigation of the impact on wintering birds.

But after this was included it withdrew the objection.

Part of the site is formed around pillboxes which remain from the Second World War.

Officers argue the development would offer a range of new houses to residents on the Peninsula which fit in with their local surroundings and, for the section currently occupied by the derelict former social club, demolish a disused building.

The Sturdee Sports and Social Club opened in 1932 but closed on the site in 2012 and is now headquartered in Sturdee Avenue, Gillingham.

A decision will be made by councillors on Wednesday (March 12).