CONTROVERSIAL plans for a major highways depot in west Kent on Green Belt land have been put on hold.

But Kent County Council has insisted that the depot, close to the M20, remains a key part of its plans to revamp its highways services.

County councillors had been due to decide whether to approve an application to build the depot on a site at the Poplars Business Park, off the A20 London Road in Wrotham on Tuesday.

The depot would have provided a base for salting and maintenance lorries, as well as offices and car parking.

But the county council’s application was withdrawn from KCC’s planning committee.

The move came as KCC announced it had re-examined its plans to build depots and was now recommending having two - one at the Wrotham site and one at a site in Ashford. A third depot planned for Dover has been dropped.

The county council took back responsibility for maintaining roads from the 12 district councils in 2004.

The move has proved controversial and the estimated costs of building the depots has soared to around £17million.

Planning chiefs had recommended the application be approved despite local opposition from residents.

Speaking after the meeting, Wrotham Parish Council chairman Harry Rayner said: "KCC is reconsidering the whole highways strategy. I am pleased that councillors have taken the opportunity to reconsider this application, which is for a very sensitive site and we hope in time that planning officers will recommend against the application."