Detailed designs for a “sensitive” and “sensible” 181-home development in a former quarry have been approved.

A reserved matters application from DHA Planning, setting out a refined blueprint for their proposed housing scheme in Frindsbury, has been backed by councillors.

The outline of the scheme, along with plans for a secondary school and a wedding venue in a Grade-I listed 15th-century barn, was first approved back in September 2021.

The plot is between the A289 Berwick Way, Upnor Road, Parsonage Lane and the A228 Frindsbury Hill.

Now specific plans of how the homes are to be laid out have been approved after receiving unanimous support from Medway Council’s planning committee earlier this week.

The proposals will see 12 one-bed apartments, 27 two-bed apartments, 13 two-bed houses, 99 three-bed houses and 28 four-bed houses.

There will also be two wheelchair-adapted apartments, one with one bedroom and another with two bedrooms.

Of the 181 homes, 46 are to be either shared-ownership or affordable rent properties.

The secondary school in the original plans has since been built, and opened for its first intake of students last September.

As a former quarry, the site needed sections to be filled in with soil before construction could begin, but the project, which began in 2015, needed an extension in 2021 and was still not completed by September last year.

Last year the developers were granted a second extension to the deadline, and officers at the June 4 planning committee said since then significant progress had been made.

Several councillors said they appreciated the designs, the delivery of the secondary school showed the developer could be depended on, and they were glad affordable homes were prioritised - being delivered in the first phase of building.

Cllr Michael Pearce (IndGr) said: “I think the design is very good, it’s good and sensitive. There’s been a lot of work which has gone into this.”

Cllr David Field (Lab) said: “It’s good to see this brings forward more affordable homes earlier, and the matters here are eminently sensible.”

Planning chairperson Cllr Chrissy Stamp (Lab) said: “I quite like the design of these houses and I think it’s a good layout as well.

“And I do like this will see an added 475 trees as well, because we do need them.”