A decision is due to be made on a proposal for nearly 150 homes in Halfway.

Members of Swale council’s planning committee will meet tonight to discuss the development earmarked for Power Station Road.

The proposal is for 142 properties which will comprise one-bedroom flats, and two- and three-bedroom houses on the former HBC Engineering site.

The application on behalf of TBH (Sheerness) went before the committee in October but was deferred due to members’ concerns over the potential increase in traffic on surrounding roads.

In recommending the scheme, planning officer Jim Wilson said the site had already been identified in the local plan for residential development.

“As such, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with adopted local and national policies,” he said.

The 9.4-acre site has been derelict since HBC Engineering closed five years ago.

An application to build a Sainsbury’s supermarket and petrol station on the land was rejected in 2012.

Despite its initial approval, a change in national policy meant a retail impact assessment was carried out and it was deemed the store would have a detrimental affect on town centre and Neats Court businesses.

In expressing doubts regarding the current proposal, which has backing from Kent Highways, planning committee member Cllr Andy Booth (Con), representative for Minster Cliffs ward, said: “The major issue is traffic at the Power Station Road roundabout and junction.

“The problem hasn’t gone away since we made these very same points during a site meeting regarding the supermarket.”

In total, the council has received 32 letters of objection.

Those opposed included MP Gordon Henderson who said the site was allocated for employment in 2008’s adopted local plan.

He said: “There is a greater need for jobs in Sheppey than there is for more housing.”

The planning meeting will be held from 7pm at the council chamber at Swale House in East Street, Sittingbourne.